Reliable electricity remains out of reach for many rural communities in Burkina Faso, despite the country’s significant solar energy potential. Expanding energy access requires more than identifying suitable locations—it demands robust technical evidence, local knowledge and investment-ready projects capable of attracting financing.

Through this initiative, Engreen contributes to the assessment of priority locations for future solar mini-grids, supporting the preparation of bankable project documentation that can accelerate the deployment of decentralized renewable energy systems across the country.

Why it matters

Energy access is not simply about installing infrastructure. Every successful mini-grid starts with understanding the communities it will serve, the local energy demand, technical feasibility, environmental conditions and long-term sustainability.

Without reliable field data and rigorous project preparation, many electrification initiatives struggle to secure financing or deliver lasting impact. Developing bankable projects reduces investment risks while ensuring that renewable energy solutions respond to real local needs.

By combining technical analysis with extensive field assessments, this project helps transform solar potential into investable opportunities that can improve livelihoods, stimulate local economies and strengthen energy resilience in underserved areas.

What the project does

The project develops the technical and operational foundations required for future solar mini-grid investments throughout Burkina Faso.

Activities include identifying and assessing potential project sites, collecting detailed socio-economic, technical and environmental data through extensive field surveys, evaluating security and logistical conditions, engaging local stakeholders, and producing comprehensive datasets that support the preparation of bankable Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). Field activities are carried out using standardized digital data collection methodologies, ensuring consistency, traceability and high-quality information for subsequent engineering and investment decisions.

Rather than focusing solely on technical design, the project bridges field realities with investment planning, enabling future renewable energy projects to move from feasibility assessment to implementation.

Expected impact

The project contributes to building a stronger pipeline of investment-ready renewable energy projects capable of accelerating rural electrification across Burkina Faso.

By reducing uncertainty during the early stages of project development, the initiative facilitates access to financing, supports more informed infrastructure planning and enables developers and financial institutions to make evidence-based investment decisions.

In the longer term, these assessments lay the groundwork for expanding reliable electricity access, fostering local economic development, improving essential services and strengthening climate resilience through decentralized clean energy systems.

Engreen’s role

At Engreen, we lead the technical coordination of the assessment activities, ensuring that field data collection translates into actionable knowledge for project development.

Our role combines methodological design, supervision of survey implementation, quality assurance, stakeholder coordination and the integration of field evidence into investment-ready project documentation. Working closely with local partners, we ensure that every assessment reflects both international technical standards and the realities of the territories where future mini-grids will operate.

This reflects our broader approach to Sustainability as a Service: transforming complex sustainability challenges into practical, scalable and finance-ready solutions that move projects from strategy to implementation.

Consortium

The project is implemented through the collaboration of organizations combining international technical expertise with strong local operational capacity:

• Engreen (Italy)

• LVIA – Associazione Internazionale Volontari Laici (Italy / Burkina Faso)

• Grupo Mercados Energéticos (Spain)

• ISA (Contracting Authority)