Solar developer SkyPower Global has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) that will catalyse the construction of the 200-MW first phase of the Green Giant project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

SkyPower, which is majority-owned by community-focused real estate and infrastructure developer and owner CIM Group, previously entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the DRC’s state-owned utility Societe Nationale d’Electricite (SNEL) for 1,000 MW of solar power generation. The developer announced last week that the latest deal is a key step to realising this PPA.

All necessary approvals for the initial project have been secured and the land allocation has been completed, thus paving the way for construction to start by 2025.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to contribute significantly to rapid industrialisation, local job creation, sustainable economic growth and a pragmatic transition to net zero in DRC and Africa as a whole,” said Amadou Wadda, Senior Director of Project Development and Technical Solutions at AFC.