The international energy group Mark Cables FZE, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced plans to construct a 200-megawatt (MW) thermal power plant in Burkina Faso, a strategic project aimed at addressing the country’s urgent electricity needs and boosting industrial growth. The announcement was made in a press release on January 26, 2026 following six months of project development discussions with Burkinabè authorities.
The €180 million project, equivalent to roughly US$195 million, is designed to add significant generation capacity to Burkina Faso’s national grid, helping to reduce reliance on energy imports and support the government’s efforts to stabilise power supply through the national utility, SONABEL.
Mahmoud Nasr, CEO of Mark Cables FZE, described the project as “highly structuring” and a direct response to the operational realities and energy deficits in West Africa. He noted that innovative and agile financing mechanisms enabled the rapid progression from concept to execution in just half a year.
In addition to helping bridge the country’s electricity shortfall, the project aligns with broader regional energy integration goals. Mark Cables was formally admitted as a member of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) during its general assembly on January 24, 2026, in Lomé, Togo. WAPP’s mandate is to facilitate cross-border electricity exchanges and foster regional cooperation, positioning the Burkina Faso plant at the heart of West Africa’s interconnected energy market.
Abdoulaye Dia, Secretary General of WAPP, welcomed Mark Cables’ membership, saying the company’s technical expertise and execution capacity would be a significant contributor to strengthening the regional energy sector and improving electricity market dynamics.
The Burkina Faso project will be developed under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, in which the developer constructs and operates the power plant for a defined period before transferring ownership to the host government or designated authority. Mark Cables has emphasised its commitment to sustainable energy infrastructure by adopting an integrated solutions approach that spans production to transmission and builds in growing engagement with renewable energy sources over time.
Mark Cables FZE is an international industrial and infrastructure group specialising in electrical equipment manufacturing and large-scale energy project development, particularly across Africa. The company works as a developer, investor and EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) partner on projects structured as independent power producers (IPPs), public-private partnerships (PPPs) and BOT arrangements, leveraging its integrated industrial capabilities and value-chain expertise.
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