National Economy
The land-locked, African country of the Republic of Mali is bordered by Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, and the Atlantic Ocean. The population of Mali is approximately 21.91 million people[1].
In 2022, Mali’s economy was ranked 117th in gross domestic product (GDP) in the world[2]. The country’s economy is dependent[3] on the export of gold, raw cotton, oil seeds, rough wood, and vegetable oils.
Environmental Policies
In 2016, Mali signed the Paris Climate Agreement[4], committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21% for land use, 29% for agriculture, and 31% for energy by 2030 in comparison to a business-as-usual scenario.
Power Generation Capabilities
In 2020, only 50.6% of the people in Mali had access to electricity[5]. In 2021, the state-owned utility, Energie du Mali used refined petroleum (64.0%) and renewable energy (36.0%) to generate electricity in the country[6]. Hydropower is the dominant type of renewable energy used to generate electricity in Mali.
Recent renewable energy projects in Mali include:
- 100 MW Solar Project – In January 2023, Emirati renewable energy company, Pal4 Energie Solaire commissioned the Diéma Solar Power Station in the western region of the country.
- 93 MW Solar Project – Emirati solar company, Phanes Group is continuing work on the Touna Solar Power Station in the southern region of the country. The project is forecast to be commissioned in 2024.
- 50 MW Solar Project – In November 2020, French renewable energy company, Akuo Energy commissioned a PV solar project in the town of Kito in the western region of the country.
- 50 MW Solar Project – French multi-national company, Legendre is continuing work on the Fana Solar PV Park in the western region of the country. The project is forecast to be commissioned by year-end 2023.
- 50 MW Solar Project – In June 2021, Emirati power company, Amea Power Group commissioned a solar project in the town Tiakadougou-Dialakoro, near the country’s capital, Bamako.
- 33 MW Solar Project – Norwegian renewable energy company, Scatec ASA is continuing work on the Segou Solar Power Plant in the western region of the country. The project is forecast to be commissioned by year-end 2023.
- 30 MW Solar + 15.4 MW Energy Storage – In April 2021, German renewable energy company, BayWa and German solar company, Suntrace commissioned a solar plus energy storage project at the Fekola gold mine in the southwestern region of the country.
Conclusions
Mali imports all the nation’s refined petroleum for transportation and power generation. In 2021, Mali imported[7] U.S. $664 Million for imported refined petroleum.
Mali has significant undeveloped renewable energy resources including solar, hydropower, wind, and biomass. The country’s undeveloped renewable resources could provide electricity to everyone in this beautiful but impoverished country.
Mali’s economy has been devastated by civil war, disease, and now volatile refined petroleum prices. New renewable energy projects have experienced repeated delays due to limited government funding, civil unrest, disease, and drought.
Photovoltaic solar projects are now providing electricity to some of the rural areas of Mali. International financial aid is now providing clean, green electricity for Mali.
Jack Kerfoot
Website – “Our Energy Conundrum”
www.jackkerfoot.com
Jack Kerfoot is a scientist, energy expert, and author of the book FUELING AMERICA, An Insider’s Journey and articles for The Hill, one of the largest independent political news sites in the United States. He has been interviewed on over 100 radio, podcast, and television stations from New York City to Los Angeles on a diverse range of energy issues.
[1] Mali Population (2023) – May 5, 2023, www.worldometers.info
[2] Gross Domestic Product By Country 2022 – Worldometer
[3] The Observatory of Economic Complexity – Mali
[4] Carbon Brief “Paris 2015: Tracking Country Climate Pledges”
[5] World Bank, “Access To Electricity (% Population) – Mali
[6] Our World In Data, Angola: Energy Country Profile by Hanna Ritchie and Max Roser
[7] The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) – Burundi Imports