Albatros Energy-SA Reauthorized to Resume Electricity Supply in Kayes Region
The Malian government has reversed its decision to terminate Albatros Energy-SA’s contract, allowing the energy operator to resume electricity production in Kayes.
Contract Termination Overturned
Through Decision No. 2025-0115-MEE-SE dated April 18, 2025, Energy and Water Minister Boubacar Diané has nullified the previous termination order (No. 0240/MEE-SE from October 17, 2024) that had ended Albatros Energy-SA’s concession for constructing and operating a heavy fuel oil power plant in Kayes under the BOOT model.
Immediate Implementation
The new decision took immediate effect and has been officially communicated to all stakeholders, including government authorities and administrative structures, starting with the Presidency of the Republic.
Addressing Mali’s Energy Crisis
This reversal forms part of Mali’s strategy to find short and medium-term solutions to the country’s electricity crisis. Authorities are working to diversify energy production sources by combining thermal and photovoltaic power plants, among other solutions.
Public-Private Partnership Restored
The Malian state and Albatros Energy-Mali-SA originally signed a 20-year energy supply concession agreement with EDM-SA in 2017. This BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) model partnership allows Albatros to finance, construct, and operate the thermal power plant before eventually transferring ownership to the Malian state through EDM-SA.
Impact on Kayes Region
Albatros’s return provides crucial energy support for Mali’s mining hub of Kayes, where electricity demand continues to grow due to both mining activities and rapid urbanization. The Kayes thermal plant, powered primarily by heavy fuel oil, supplies EDM-SA with 80 megawatts of electricity.
International Financing
The Albatros Energy-SA project benefits from international financing through institutions including BOAD, BAD, and BID, demonstrating the importance of this public-private partnership in Mali’s energy sector.
Author: Abdrahamane Dicko
Source: Mali Tribune via Bamada.net