The African Development Bank Group has approved €28 million ($29 million) for the construction of solar power plants in Gassi and Lamadji, Chad, as part of its Desert to Power program.

The funding includes €20 million in direct support from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa and €8 million in financial guarantees. The project is part of Chad's Desert to Power plan, which aims to increase power supply by 20% and facilitate the country's transition from expensive, polluting fuel-based power to clean energy.

The project will build two solar power plants in the outskirts of N'Djamena, each capable of producing 15 megawatt peak electricity. It also includes new power stations, connection lines, and a 6-megawatt-hour battery system for off-peak energy storage. The total project cost is estimated at €41 million.

The solar plants are expected to generate 61 gigawatt-hours of clean, reliable, and affordable energy each year, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 49,000 tons annually and will create 200 jobs during construction, with special opportunities for women and young people, and 34 permanent jobs during operation.