Solar power beats Hydro

On September 20, energy experts from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) with support from International Rivers released a new study entitled, “The feasibility of solar PV to replace the Koukoutamba hydropower plant in Guinea – a quantitative study”. This study explores the feasibility of renewable energy alternatives to building the proposed Koukoutamba dam on the Bafing River, a tributary of the Senegal River, on a remote stretch of the Fouta Djallon highlands in Guinea, West Africa. The Koukoutamba Dam would be built within and have severe adverse impacts on the Moyen Bafing National Park, and would also displace at least 8,700 people to make way for the dam’s reservoir. The study’s results highlight that solar PV would likely be a more attractive investment than Koukoutamba and could result in a lower levelized cost of electricity.

More info at https://www.internationalrivers.org/news/new-study-solar-alternatives-outperform-the-proposed-koukoutamba-dam-in-guinea/?emci=0b5256a7-a23a-ed11-a27c-281878b83d8a&emdi=f6e27724-ae3a-ed11-a27c-281878b83d8a&ceid=2008792