Dedougou 18 MWp PV Plant

Project Details

Name	Year	Location	Client	Type	Description	Scope
Dedougou 18 MWp PV Plant	2026	Dedougou, Burkina Faso	Butec	Photovoltaic	EPC project for an 18 MWp PV solar plant equipped with solar trackers	Executing overall detailed engineering (mechanical/electrical) and preparing equipment RFQs

Project Background & Objectives

The Dedougou 18 MWp PV Plant project was initiated as a flagship utility-scale renewable development to dramatically expand clean generation capacity and stabilize the regional electricity grid in Dedougou, Burkina Faso. Commissioned by Butec, this large-scale infrastructure asset involves building a high-performance 18 MWp PV solar plant equipped with solar trackers to maximize generation yield throughout the day. Within this major engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) framework, PDP Energy was selected to handle the central engineering responsibilities. The primary company-specific objectives focus on executing the overall detailed engineering (mechanical/electrical) and preparing equipment RFQs, ensuring the massive facility is built on a highly optimized, fully compliant technical foundation.

Project Challenges

Designing a utility-scale 18 MWp facility featuring dynamic solar trackers introduces intense mechanical and electrical coordination challenges, especially in harsh West African environments. PDP Energy had to navigate severe technical hurdles, including tracking geometry calculations, motor power distribution, and structural wind-load designs to ensure the tracking mechanisms withstand extreme environmental elements. On the electrical side, managing large-scale DC and AC cable calculations, designing centralized inverter stations, and mitigating rapid generation fluctuations requires highly precise network modeling. Compounding these complexities, drafting comprehensive equipment Requests for Quotations (RFQs) demanded strict alignment with tight international specifications to guarantee absolute component compatibility and system longevity.

Project Outcomes

Operating as the primary detailed engineering partner, PDP Energy successfully formulated the complete mechanical and electrical detailed design package along with the technical RFQ documentation for the utility asset. The project effectively established a highly efficient, modern blueprint for tracker-based solar infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. By providing synchronized and precise engineering layouts, PDP Energy cleared the way for the secure deployment of the 18 MWp solar plant, ensuring maximized annual energy yields, reduced regional carbon emissions, and a highly stable clean energy feed into the local transmission network.

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