This funding comprises €11.2 million in debt from the Dutch development bank FMO—via its Building Prospects Fund—and a €6 million concessional package from the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).

SEFA’s contribution includes a €2.5 million senior concessional loan and a €3.5 million reimbursable grant.

The financing was finalized during a signing ceremony held in Paris in mid-July 2025, with FMO, the AfDB, project developer Qair, and legal advisors in attendance.

The project is being delivered by Dédougou Solaire, a special-purpose company owned by MIHIA Holding (70%) and Syscom Network (30%).

MIHIA Holding is an investment vehicle launched in 2021 and jointly owned by Qair International (51%) and STOA (49%).

Covering design, construction, and operation, the project has a total cost of around €20.4 million (or €20.7 million, depending on rounding).

It includes a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Burkina Faso’s state utility, SONABEL, and forms part of the Desert-to-Power initiative, which targets 10 GW of solar capacity across the Sahel by 2030.

Once completed, the solar farm is expected to expand energy access in one of West Africa’s least electrified countries. It will supply cleaner and more cost-effective electricity, reducing reliance on expensive thermal generation and imports.

FMO notes that its involvement is crucial because local commercial banks in Burkina Faso cannot provide long-term financing on suitable terms.

The investment also carries an environmental and social (E&S) Category B+, triggering most IFC Performance Standards except PS7.

The project includes measures to manage economic displacement, community relationships, security, and biodiversity, with particular attention to the fragile security situation in the region.

This will be FMO’s fourth solar project in Burkina Faso, following the 24 MW plant in Zano, commissioned in 2023.