By Mirriam Kaliza
One of China’s top 10 Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) providers and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) manufacturers, Dalian CDS Solar Energy Technology Co, has partnered with the Hong Kong-based global investment banking firm Treadway to address Africa’s growing energy crisis.
The collaboration aims to expedite the development of solar power stations across multiple African countries, meeting the continent’s rising electricity demand. CDS Solar, which has completed hundreds of solar energy EPC projects worldwide, also manufactures solar trackers, systems, and battery management systems, representing the full spectrum of the solar energy ecosystem. These products are produced at its 100,000 square-metre factory in Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China.
According to the agreement, seen by MBC, CDS Solar will oversee EPC for the projects. However, the construction aspect has a significant local employment component. CDS Solar will contribute engineers representing 20% of the labour force, while Agilitee, appointed as technical partner, will provide 80% of the workforce and will operate and maintain the solar power stations.
Both companies are already collaborating on three major projects in Africa, each initiated through Treadway’s government connections. The smallest of these projects is projected to generate $40 million annually for Agilitee over 30 years, beginning in the coming months.
Due to the high costs associated with solar power plants a 1,000 MW facility can cost between $900 million and $1.6 billion two major Chinese banks have been brought in to finance projects in countries unable to fund them independently.
One of the projects has already received full regulatory approval, with the remaining two expected to be cleared in the coming months. The total value of all three projects exceeds $5 billion, with funding already secured.
This partnership reflects a growing trend of leveraging international expertise and investment to address Africa’s urgent energy needs, while simultaneously creating significant employment opportunities for local communities.
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