Gas link completed, thermal capacity still planned
SIPI Bénin, operator of the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone, announced on 21 October 2026 that it had completed a 30-kilometre gas pipeline linking the zone to Maria-Gléta. Director-general Letondji Beheton said the pipeline would supply a new thermal power plant with capacity exceeding 225 MW inside the industrial zone.
The reports did not provide a construction or commissioning timetable for the thermal plant. The announced generating capacity therefore remains planned, while only the gas pipeline was described as completed.
First solar construction targeted within 18 months
The operator also plans solar installations totalling 300 MW. Construction of the first solar plant is expected to start within 18 months, although no completion date or initial capacity was specified.
SIPI Bénin’s proposed solar programme also includes photovoltaic panels on warehouse and industrial-building roofs. Beheton estimated that rooftop systems could provide about 100 MW of additional capacity and said surplus electricity could potentially be supplied to Benin’s national grid.
Projects aimed at rising industrial demand
According to 24 Heures au Benin, the projects are intended to strengthen electricity supply as production units expand and the zone seeks to attract more industrial operators. The site hosts processing activities involving cotton, soybeans, cashews and construction materials, and SIPI Bénin says more than 25,000 people currently work there.
Afreximbank official Jean Arsène Yerima expressed interest in the zone’s development prospects, including energy investment. He said the bank intended to support industrial development through financing, guarantees and risk-sharing with commercial banks, but no specific financing agreement for the announced power projects was reported.