Solar Energy: Minister Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly Inaugurates a Center of Excellence for Solar Technology Applications in Bingerville

On the sidelines of the first edition of the International Mining and Energy Resources Exhibition (SIREXE 2024), the Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, inaugurated the Solar Technology Application Resources Center (STAR C) at the Center for Electrical Trades (CME) in Bingerville on Saturday, November 30, 2024.

Minister Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly highlighted that the establishment of STAR C at the CME in Bingerville is aligned with the strategic vision of President Alassane Ouattara, who aims to place access to clean, universal energy at the heart of the country's development. This initiative reflects the Ivorian government's ambition to make Côte d'Ivoire a regional hub for solar energy expertise.

The inauguration of STAR C marks the beginning of a new era: “An era where solar energy will be a pillar of our energy mix, contributing to industrialization, job creation for youth, and improving the living conditions of our population,” the minister explained.

It is important to note that STAR C is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in March 2023 between the Ivorian government, through the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy (MMPE), and the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The ISA is a platform for cooperation between developing countries with significant solar potential and developed countries with advanced solar technologies. The STAR C initiative aims to provide solar technology and application resources to member countries to enable them to achieve the ISA's vision of large-scale and accelerated solar energy deployment, prioritizing access to energy in these countries.

Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly expressed the government’s gratitude to the ISA for this “quality partnership,” which will allow Côte d'Ivoire to strengthen its capacity to develop the local skills needed to fully harness renewable energy, particularly solar energy, a resource abundant in the country.

The STAR C building is a modern and functional infrastructure that includes, among other facilities, a training room, three offices for trainers, a computer room, a practical training (TP) room, a classroom, and a video surveillance room.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Director Generals of Energy, Narcisse Ehouman Kalifa, and the Ivorian Electricity Company (CIE), Ahmadou Bakayoko, as well as students from the CME.