Togo has launched a new solar mini-grid initiative to accelerate rural electrification, part of a national plan to reach universal, affordable power by 2030 through a mix of grid expansion, village mini-grids, and solar home systems.
The pilot phase, known locally as Café-Lumière, begins in six villages in Haho prefecture and will power homes, small businesses, and public services such as clinics and schools bringing reliable electricity where the grid is still out of reach.
Why It Matters
Village-scale solar, built for livelihoods. The new project deploys photovoltaic mini-grids sized not only for household lighting and phone charging but also for productive uses, such as milling, refrigeration, irrigation pumps, welding, internet cafés, and cold chains for vaccines. This approach aims to convert “first light” into income, jobs, and better services, a key shift from earlier programs focused mainly on basic lighting.
Designed to close the rural gap. Togo’s access rate has climbed to roughly 59% of the population, but access remains much lower in rural areas than in cities, a disparity the government has prioritized. Mini-grids help bridge that gap where grid extension is slow or uneconomic.
Part of a bigger universal access plan. Under Togo’s 2018 National Electrification Strategy (NES), the country expects to reach universal access by 2030 by delivering about 52% of new connections via the grid, 43% via solar home systems, and 5% via mini-grids, an investment estimated around US$1.8 billion. The new mini-grid program is the 5% wedge that unlocks productive energy in rural localities.
How the Model Works
Mini-grids where they fit best. In villages far from substations, solar PV plus battery storage can deliver 24/7 service at lower life-cycle cost than diesel. Systems are right-sized for current loads and scalable as demand grows especially once refrigeration, agro-processing, and water pumping take off.
Smart subsidies, smart operations. Togo has already used targeted, digital subsidies to kick-start off-grid adoption (notably through its Tinga and CIZO programs). Lessons from those schemes, like mobile-enabled targeting, pay-as-you-go billing, and performance-based disbursements, are now informing how mini-grids are financed and operated so that tariffs remain affordable while systems remain financially viable.
Public coordination, private delivery. The Agence Togolaise d’Électrification Rurale et des Énergies Renouvelables (AT2ER) coordinates planning and tenders; private developers build and run systems under clear rules and quality standards. This “plan once, build many” approach reduces duplication and channels capital to bankable sites.
What Changes for Rural Households Practically
- Lower energy costs and better reliability compared to diesel generators and kerosene, with the convenience of prepaid or mobile billing.
- More hours for commerce and study evening lighting extends shop hours and improves educational outcomes.
- Cold chains and modern health services (vaccine fridges, sterilization, lighting at night) that were previously impossible or prohibitively expensive.
- Catalysts for micro-enterprise from grain milling and welding to phone charging, internet services, and cold storage for fisheries and horticulture.
How This Fits with Togo’s Broader Power Mix
Togo isn’t betting on a single pathway; it’s building a portfolio:
- Grid-connected solar is scaling. The Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Solar Power Plant at Blitta began at 50 MW in 2021 and has been expanded to 70 MW with 4 MWh battery storage, with agreements signed to reach 100 MW plus 14 MWh of battery storage. This bolsters national supply and improves stability.
- More utility-scale capacity is in the pipeline. The Sokodé 62 MWp solar project secured African Development Bank financing in 2024 (with developers Meridiam and EDF), further diversifying supply and reducing dependence on imports and thermal generation.
- The grid still grows where it’s economic. In parallel, AT2ER is pursuing medium- and low-voltage extensions to 172 rural localities, ensuring that villages close to the network can connect quickly at least-cost.
- Solar home systems are reaching scattered households. Through CIZO and the Tinga affordability program, tens of thousands of rural families have adopted pay-as-you-go solar kits with a voucher subsidy around 80,000 households so far.
Why Mini-Grids?
Even as national access improves, rural access lags far behind urban areas. Mini-grids are the fastest bridge for settlements that are too remote for near-term grid extension but dense enough to justify a shared system rather than individual kits. They also unlock higher-power services (motors, refrigeration) that most single-home kits can’t support economically. Togo’s NES explicitly assigns mini-grids this role to hit universal access by 2030 without overbuilding the grid.
Development agencies working in Togo emphasize productive and social uses of electricity making sure power adoption translates into income growth and improved services, not just lumens. That’s why the Café-Lumière pilot couples generation with appliance uptake, user training, and enterprise support.
Also read: Africa’s Solar Imports Hit 15 GW in a Year Driving Energy Transformation
Early Lessons from Togo’s Off-Grid Journey
- Targeting matters. Digital ID plus mobile money let Togo target subsidies (under Tinga and CIZO) to the most vulnerable and pay suppliers for verified results. Those design choices now travel well to mini-grids.
- Anchor loads drive viability. Clinics, schools, agro-businesses, cold rooms, and micro-industry stabilize demand so tariffs can remain affordable for households. The new pilot explicitly plans for these anchor-productive-community loads.
- A balanced mix reduces risk. With utility-scale solar, grid densification, mini-grids, and solar kits, Togo spreads technical and financial risk while matching technology to geography.
