Solarcentury to build the largest commercial and industrial solar project in Africa

Solarcentury has been contracted to build a solar project in Nigeria, by Alfen BV for the end client Tulip Cocoa Processing Ltd (TCP) – part of the Ecom/Theobroma Group.

Securing this contract is testament to the skills and expertise of our global operations and the local teams; it builds on the success of our operations in East Africa and is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to bringing clean energy to all Africa.

Part of the solar installation will be roof-mounted, and part will be ground-mounted, all within the boundaries of one of TCPs operational factories. Currently this facility relies solely on diesel generators, a costly source of fuel and highly polluting. Switching to solar energy will reduce TCP’s energy costs, and also allow for more stable and predictable running costs in the future, rather than being subject to market fluctuations.

The solar project makes up part of a complete sustainable energy system developed by Alfen, including an energy storage solution which will allow TCP to store then use excess solar energy that it generates, further increasing the financial benefits for the company. Choosing these new energy technologies is evidence of the creative and innovative vision of the Ecom Group, and takes steps towards TCP’s ISO14001 obligations.

Guillaume Avranche, Solarcentury Business Development Manager for the African region commented, “This project represents a breakthrough for the continent. Nigeria and many other African countries still rely heavily on fossil fuels to power their industry. This project demonstrates that solar is not only an effective technology in Africa, it can also be an affordable, reliable and responsible source of energy. Solarcentury is proud to be leading this transition and supporting African businesses through clean energy.”

Commissioning of the project is planned for June 2018.