The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA | Burkina Faso | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing (IPF) | FY 2021 | Seq No: 7 | Archived on 08-Apr-2025 | ISR03027 Implementing Agencies: ABER, Ministry of Energy, SONABEL 1. OBJECTIVE 1.1 Development Objective Original Development Objective (Approved as part of Approval package on 21-Jun-2021) The objective of the proposed project is to increase access to electricity services in selected rural areas and the availability of solar energy in Burkina Faso by leveraging private finance. Has the Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No 2. COMPONENTS Name Component 1: Sustainable Rural Electrification:(Cost 100,000,000.00) Component 2: Utility-Scale Solar with Storage and VRE Integration:(Cost 88,000,000.00) Component 3: Private Sector Mobilization for Large-Scale Solar:(Cost 419,700,000.00) 3. OVERALL RATINGS Name Previous Current Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial 4. KEY ISSUES & STATUS Apr 08, 2025 Page 1 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) 4.1 Implementation Status and Key Decisions Component 1: Rural Electrification (USD 75 million, IDA) continues to have low disbursement at 4%, but the technical documents DAO to commit USD 50 million of IDA resources by electrifying 234 localities through grid densification (Component 1.1) and extension (Component 1.2) are ready to be launched following finalization of early market engagement. A restructuring request to accelerate the deployment of resources related to sub-Component 1.3 (mini- grids) is under review. ToRs for studies for productive use (Component 1.4) and Sector capacity reinforcement (Component 1.5) have been cleared by the Bank. Component 2: Grid Infrastructure and VRE integration (USD 88 million, CTF) is progressing well with 18% of resources disbursed. As part of works to evacuate the 150MW regional solar parks (PSVR): In November 2024, contracts were signed and implementation has started for the construction of the 225kV connection (operated at 90kV) to evacuate the 75MW Konean solar power plant to the existing Kaya substation, and for the construction of the 132kV double-circuit connection of the 45MW Kouritenga solar power plant as a feeder cut-off on the Zano line in Koupela. In relation to works to stabilize the network to allow integration of VRE, tendering closed on March 26, 2026 for the procurement of a Battery Energy Storage Units (BESS) at the Zagtouli substation with a capacity of 28MWh/25MWe. Two contracts for investments in telecoms and dispatch, both to reinforce the grid to support VRE integration will be signed by April 10, 2025 – procurement has been finalized. A package of 3 lots works to reinforce the existing lines and substations will be relaunched in early April. DAOs have been completed and early market engagement is ongoing. Owners Engineers have been recruited to review designs and support supervision of the major works. Component 3: Mobilizing the private sector for large-scale solar (USD 5.7 million, CTF, GIF). A transaction advisor has been recruited and key documents have been prepared and validated to ensure a successful competitive selection of the private sector to construct three solar power plants as part of the regional solar park for Burkina Faso. A second pre- qualification will be launched by March 31, 2025. 5. SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL Rating at Approval Last Approved Rating Risk Category Approval Package - ISR Seq. 06 - 15 Sep Proposed Rating 21 Jun 2021 2024 Political and Governance Substantial Substantial Substantial Macroeconomic Substantial Substantial Substantial Sector Strategies and Policies Substantial Substantial Substantial Technical Design of Project or Program Substantial Substantial Substantial Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Substantial Substantial Substantial Sustainability Apr 08, 2025 Page 2 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) Fiduciary Substantial Substantial Substantial Environment and Social Substantial Substantial Substantial Stakeholders Substantial Substantial Substantial Overall Substantial Substantial Substantial Apr 08, 2025 Page 3 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) 6. RESULTS 6.1 PDO Indicators by PDO Outcomes Increase access to electricity services in selected rural areas Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year People provided with access 0 Jul/2023 0 30-Jun-2024 0 30-Dec-2028 700,000 Dec/2028 to electricity (Number of Comments on In progress people) CRI achieving targets People provided with 0 Jul/2023 0 30-Jun-2024 0 30-Dec-2028 131,970 Dec/2028 access to electricity – Comments on In progress Youth (Number of achieving targets people) CRI People provided with 0 Jul/2023 0 30-Jun-2024 0 30-Dec-2028 350,000 Dec/2028 access to electricity – Comments on In progess Female (Number of achieving targets people) CRI Generation capacity of 0.00 Jun/2020 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 30-Dec-2028 325.00 Jun/2025 energy constructed or Comments on In progress rehabilitated (Megawatt) achieving targets Renewable energy 0.00 Jun/2020 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 30-Dec-2028 325.00 Jun/2025 generation capacity Comments on In progress (other than achieving targets hydropower) constructed under the project (Megawatt) 0.00 Jun/2020 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 30-Dec-2028 700,000.00 Jun/2025 Apr 08, 2025 Page 4 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) People provided with new or Comments on In progress improved electricity service achieving targets (Number) People provided with 0.00 0.00 0.00 350,000.00 new or improved Comments on In progress electricity service - achieving targets Female (Number) People provided with 0.00 Jun/2020 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 30-Dec-2028 700,000.00 Jun/2025 access to electricity Comments on In progress under the project by achieving targets household connections (grid or off-grid). (Number) Increase the availability of solar energy in Burkina Faso Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year 0.00 Jun/2020 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 28-Mar-2025 150.00 Jun/2025 VRE integration capacity Comments on This indicator measure the total of variable renewable generation capacity in MWp, that is enabled by the project achieving targets enabled through the upgrade of the network, the provision of providing voltage and (Megawatt) frequency support with battery storage and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) Avoided GHG emission 0.00 May/2020 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 28-Mar-2025 318,000.00 Nov/2025 (tCO2e per year) (Metric Comments on Tons of avoided CO2 emissions per year for the three solar projects with battery (Regional tons/year) achieving targets Solar Parks and anchor customer) By leveraging private finance Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year 0.00 Jun/2020 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 28-Mar-2025 439,000,000.00 Jun/2025 Apr 08, 2025 Page 5 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) Comments on This indicator measures total private investments mobilized for large scale solar parks Private investments achieving targets development and operation by IPPs and mini-grid development and operation by private mobilized (Amount(USD)) concessionaires 6.2 Intermediate Results Indicators by Components Component 1: Sustainable Rural Electrification Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Renewable energy capacity 0 Jun/2020 0 30-Jun-2024 0 28-Mar-2025 325 Dec/2028 enabled (Megawatt) CRI Financial closing achieved for No Jun/2023 No 30-Jun-2024 No 30-Jun-2024 Yes Jun/2021 the first green mini-grid Comments on This indicator signifies that the first competitively selected private concessionaire for green development and operation achieving targets mini-grid development and operation have reached financial close. by concessionaire (Yes/No) 0.00 Jul/2021 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 30-Jun-2024 7.00 Oct/2025 Comments on This indicator measures the the percentage of female-headed households in the rural areas achieving targets of Burkina Faso with access to new or improved electricity services as a result of the project. Share of female-headed Given the gap identified in energy access equity would be achieved if FHHs are connected at households provided with the same rate as MHHs. Therefore, under the project a target has been set of reaching 7 new or improved electricity percent which is the prevalence of FHHs in the rural areas of Burkina Faso. The baseline is services (Percentage) listed as zero as the gap has been identified above but the baseline for the chosen location is unknown. Focus will be placed on cross-validating the post-electrification findings through possible surveys and focus-group discussions to track project. 0.00 Jul/2021 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 30-Jun-2024 20.00 Oct/2025 Percentage of women working in mini-grid Comments on The indicator measures the percentage of women working in mini-grid operations in operations (Percentage) achieving targets localities supported by the project (share in the total workforce). Overall female employment in the energy sector is very low in Burkina Faso. This holds for newly Apr 08, 2025 Page 6 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) established opertions and even though private sector participants have cited pilot operations where women have been employed for these roles successfully. However, similar initiatives appear only to be occurring as pilots and therefore the baseline was determined to be 0 Grievances received and 0.00 Jun/2021 0 30-Jun-2024 0 30-Jun-2024 90.00 Jun/2025 addressed through the Comments on Percentage of grievances received and addressed through the project’s Grievance Redress project’s Grievance Redress achieving targets Mechanism Mechanism within the specified timeframe (Percentage) Component 2: Utility-Scale Solar with Storage and VRE Integration Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Financial closing achieved for No Jun/2020 No 30-Jun-2024 No 28-Mar-2025 Yes Dec/2021 the phase 1 of the Regional Comments on This indicator signifies that competitively IPP(s) selected for the first phase of the regional Solar Parks (Yes/No) achieving targets solar park have reached financial close. 0.00 May/2021 0.00 30-Jun-2024 0.00 28-Mar-2025 0.32 Dec/2026 Installed capacity of battery Comments on The project is supporting the deployment of battery storage (grid-connected, associated to storage (Gigawatt-hour achieving targets privately-owned PV generation, and PV/battery mini-grid). The indicator is reporting on the (GWh)) installed battery capacity (in MWh) under the project across the components. Component 3: Private Sector Mobilization for Large-Scale Solar Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Recruitment of transaction No Jun/2020 No 30-Jun-2024 No 30-Jun-2024 Yes Oct/2020 advisory firm with requisite Comments on This indicator establishes that a consulting firm with requisite expertise has been recruited legal, financial and technical achieving targets to support the Government on the selection and negotiation of VRE IPP project with anchor expertise for anchor mining customer Apr 08, 2025 Page 7 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) customers VRE IPP project (Yes/No) Apr 08, 2025 Page 8 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) 7. DATA ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 7.1 Cumulative Disbursements 7.2 Disbursements (by loan) Loan/Credit/TF Status Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed IDA-69190 Effective 75.00 67.37 0.00 2.57 64.82 3.81% TF-B5744 Effective 91.00 91.00 0.00 17.61 73.39 19.35% TF-B5740 Effective 0.70 0.70 0.00 0.00 0.70 0% TF-B5738 Effective 2.00 2.00 0.00 0.56 1.44 28.06% 7.3 Key Dates (by loan) Apr 08, 2025 Page 9 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Solar Energy and Access Project (P166785) Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Signing Effectiveness Orig. Closing Rev. Closing IDA-69190 Effective 21-Jun-2021 14-Jul-2021 22-Jun-2022 31-Dec-2028 31-Dec-2028 TF-B5738 Effective 21-Jun-2021 14-Jul-2021 22-Jun-2022 31-Dec-2027 31-Dec-2027 TF-B5740 Effective 21-Jun-2021 14-Jul-2021 22-Jun-2022 31-Dec-2026 31-Dec-2026 TF-B5744 Effective 21-Jun-2021 14-Jul-2021 22-Jun-2022 31-Dec-2028 31-Dec-2028 8. KEY DATES Key Events Planned Actual Approval 21-Jun-2021 21-Jun-2021 Effectiveness 22-Jun-2022 22-Jun-2022 Mid-Term Review No. 01 30-Sep-2025 Operation Closing/Cancellation 31-Dec-2028 9. RESTRUCTURING HISTORY 10. ASSOCIATED OPERATION(S) There are no associated operations Apr 08, 2025 Page 10 of 10