Overview

Improving Benin’s ability to meet its energy needs, particularly ensuring adequate access to electricity, is a critical goal of the Beninese government to support economic development and foreign investment.  Benin depends on Nigeria and Ghana for the majority of its energy, and continues to suffer from insufficient supply.  Benin’s current electricity needs are estimated at 250 MW and are expected to rise to 600 MW by 2020.  One of the Talon administration’s long-term goals is to increase electric power generation capacity to 4,000 MW through Public-Private Partnerships and to become an exporter of surplus power to neighboring countries.

(total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports)

Opportunities

A number of opportunities exist in power generation. As Benin seeks to both increase and diversify its electric power generation capacity, opportunities in thermal, solar, wind, and other generation technologies are increasingly attractive to potential investors.  Some of these opportunities may be available through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact, which entered into force in 2017 and is devoted entirely to Benin’s power sector.  Benin’s government is also partnering with other donors or financial backers, including the Islamic Development Bank, to fund the construction of additional power generation capacity.

Web Resources

• www.finances.bj
• www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/country/benin
• http://www.mcabenin2.bj/