The Illoulofin solar power plant (Pobè, Plateau Department) is now operational. The Minister of Energy, Dona Jean-Claude Houssou; the Ambassador of France in Benin, Marc Vizy and the Ambassador of the European Union in Benin, Sylvia Hartleif, proceeded on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 to the inauguration of the solar power plant.Ambassador to Benin, Sylvia Hartleif, inaugurated the 25 MWp photovoltaic infrastructure on Tuesday, July 19, 2022.

The solar power plant built by the Eiffage Energie Services Clemessy / RMT consortium as part of the DEFISSOL project will supply 35 GWh/year of electricity. This capacity will cover the consumption of around 180,000 people and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 23,000 tonnes of CO2 per year over a period of 25 years. The commitment of the European Union (EU) is in line with the external dimension of the European "Green Pact" and the "Global Gateway" investment strategy. This new European strategy is based on ambitious, modern and forward-looking partnerships worldwide and especially in Africa.

The commissioning of the largest solar photovoltaic plant is the main deliverable of the DEFISSOL project. With a total value of nearly 40 billion CFA francs (60.5 million euros), the DEFISSOL project is co-financed to the tune of 32.8 billion CFA francs by the French Development Agency and 6.7 billion CFA francs by the European Commission.The project is part of the Team Europe Benin Initiative "Investing in Green Energy". The project includes the construction of a 25-megawatt photovoltaic power plant in the commune of Pobè, the first large-scale solar power plant in Benin and one of the largest in the world.The project includes the construction of a 25 megawatt photovoltaic plant in the commune of Pobè, the first large-scale solar power plant in Benin and one of the largest in West Africa, and the modernization of SBEE's IT system.