Togo’s energy story is not built around large oil fields, coal mines or a mature national power system. It is the story of a narrow West African country trying to reduce dependence on imported electricity while extending reliable service beyond Lomé and the southern coastal region. Natural gas plants near the capital, regional electricity connections, shared hydropower and the growing solar sector all play important roles.
The central challenge is geographic as well as economic. Much of Togo’s power infrastructure has historically been concentrated in the south, while rural and northern communities have had much lower electricity access. New solar plants, transmission lines and off-grid systems are beginning to change that balance, but generation capacity, affordability and grid reliability remain major issues.
Togo’s Energy System Runs from the Port of Lomé to the Northern Border
Togo stretches north from the Gulf of Guinea between Ghana and Benin, ending at its border with Burkina Faso. This long, narrow shape influences the country’s energy infrastructure. Lomé is the largest city, the main industrial centre and the location of major thermal power stations, fuel storage facilities, port infrastructure and a connection to the West African Gas Pipeline.
Power demand is not limited to the capital. Towns such as Kpalimé, Atakpamé, Sokodé, Kara and Dapaong require more reliable electricity for households, public services, agriculture and industry. Moving electricity between the coastal generation zone and inland regions therefore requires a strong north–south transmission network.
Togo also functions as part of a regional energy system. The country participates in the West African Power Pool and imports electricity through connections with Ghana and Nigeria. Its transmission system is operated by the Communauté Électrique du Bénin, or CEB, a binational institution shared by Togo and Benin. The state-owned Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo, better known as CEET, manages distribution and electricity sales inside the country. [1]
This regional position provides access to power that Togo cannot always produce domestically. It also creates exposure to problems outside its borders, including gas shortages, reduced electricity exports from neighbouring countries and failures on regional transmission lines.
Electricity Access Has Improved Faster Than Grid Strength
Togo has made clear progress in expanding electricity access. World Bank project data based on national sector information placed the electricity access rate at 65 percent in 2023, compared with 23 percent in 2010. However, the national figure hides a major geographic divide. Urban access was estimated at about 95 percent, while rural access remained close to 25 percent. [1]
This difference matters because more than half of the population lives in rural areas. A village may be located far from an existing medium-voltage line, making a conventional grid connection expensive. Even when the network reaches a community, connection charges and household wiring costs may remain unaffordable.
Togo’s domestic installed generating capacity was reported at 254 MW in 2023, while peak demand reached about 305 MW. The country therefore needed imported electricity and power purchases to meet periods of high demand. The system generated or purchased almost 2,000 GWh during the year, but only about 1,528 GWh was delivered to the grid. Technical losses, commercial losses, internal plant consumption and other system requirements reduce the amount that reaches paying customers. [1]
The national electrification strategy combines three methods. Grid expansion is intended for cities, towns and communities located near transmission infrastructure. Mini-grids can serve settlements where a full connection is not yet economical. Solar home systems provide basic electricity for lighting, phone charging, televisions and small appliances in more isolated areas.
The difficulty is no longer only installing generation. Togo must also build lines, substations, meters and local distribution networks while keeping electricity affordable enough for households to connect and remain regular customers.
Natural Gas Supports Domestic Generation but Not Full Energy Independence
Natural gas has become one of the foundations of electricity production in Togo. The country does not have a large domestic gas production industry, so its gas-fired plants depend on regional supply infrastructure.
The 100 MW ContourGlobal power plant in Lomé was commissioned in 2010. It was designed as a tri-fuel facility capable of operating with natural gas, heavy fuel oil or diesel. This flexibility is useful in a market where gas deliveries may be interrupted, although switching to petroleum fuels can increase operating costs. When it entered service, the plant more than doubled Togo’s installed generation capacity. [2]
A second major project is the 65 MW Kékéli Efficient Power plant in Lomé’s port area. Kékéli uses combined-cycle technology. A gas turbine produces electricity first, while heat from the exhaust is used to create steam and generate additional power. This allows the plant to produce more electricity from the same quantity of gas than a simple-cycle plant. [3]
Natural gas reaches Togo through the West African Gas Pipeline. The 678-kilometre system begins in Nigeria and runs offshore toward Ghana, with delivery branches serving Cotonou, Lomé and Tema. It gives Togo access to pipeline gas without requiring its own producing fields. [3]
However, a gas pipeline does not remove energy-security risk. Supply problems in Nigeria or Ghana can affect generation in Togo. In early 2023, the country experienced outages linked to unreliable imported electricity, insufficient generation, overloaded transmission infrastructure and gas shortages. CEET had to use more expensive diesel and heavy fuel oil generation to support the system. [1]
Natural gas therefore offers Togo more domestic electricity production, but it remains an imported fuel delivered through international infrastructure.
Oil Connects Transport, Backup Generation and the Port of Lomé
Oil is important to Togo even though the country is not a significant crude oil producer. Gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, liquefied petroleum gas and other refined products must be supplied through international trade.
Road transport creates a large part of domestic petroleum demand. Trucks move goods between the Port of Lomé and inland markets, while cars, motorcycles, buses and commercial vehicles depend heavily on gasoline and diesel. Diesel also supports construction, agricultural machinery and private generators used by businesses during power cuts.
Petroleum products remain part of the electricity system as well. The ContourGlobal station can use heavy fuel oil and diesel when natural gas is unavailable. Smaller thermal units and emergency generators also provide backup power. This creates a direct connection between international oil prices and the cost of maintaining electricity supply.
The Port of Lomé gives Togo a wider regional role. It has developed into a major deep-water transshipment and logistics centre, serving maritime trade as well as road corridors leading toward Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. Fuel storage and petroleum distribution near Lomé support the national market and can also serve regional trade. [4]
The port creates an advantage because fuel can arrive directly by tanker and be stored near the country’s main demand centre. At the same time, Togo remains exposed to global prices, shipping costs, foreign exchange pressure and disruptions in international fuel supply.
A long-term reduction in oil dependence would require more than renewable electricity. It would also involve stronger public transport, more efficient vehicles, possible electric mobility and cleaner alternatives for freight and industrial machinery.
Coal Is Outside the Centre of Togo’s Power Strategy
Coal has little importance in Togo’s electricity system. The country does not operate a major coal-fired power station, and its main thermal plants are designed around natural gas, heavy fuel oil and diesel. Togo also does not have a large commercial coal-mining industry.
Some imported coal or petroleum coke may be used in industrial processes, particularly where very high temperatures are required. However, coal does not shape national electricity planning in the way it does in countries such as South Africa, Botswana or Zimbabwe.
This changes the nature of Togo’s energy transition. The country does not need to replace a large fleet of coal plants or manage the closure of major coal-mining regions. Its fossil-fuel challenge is based mainly on imported oil products, imported natural gas and imported electricity.
For Togo, cleaner power development means reducing the use of expensive petroleum generation, limiting exposure to unstable gas supply and replacing part of imported electricity with domestic solar and hydropower. Coal phaseout is not a central national policy issue because coal was never the base of the Togolese power system. [1][2][3]
Blitta Has Made Solar Power a National Infrastructure Project
Solar energy is the clearest area of growth in Togo’s renewable power sector. The Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed solar plant at Blitta, in the central part of the country, was the first utility-scale renewable energy project in Togo.
The first development phases provided 50 MW of solar capacity. Further work expanded the site to 70 MW and added a 4 MWh battery energy storage system, which the developer reports has been operational since June 2023. The battery can store a limited amount of electricity and support grid management when solar production changes. [5]
Blitta is important for more than its capacity. It places a major generating facility well north of Lomé, helping Togo reduce the historic concentration of power assets around the capital. It also shows that utility-scale solar can be connected to the national network rather than used only through small household systems.
AMEA Power has also presented an expansion plan that would take Blitta to 100 MW of solar capacity with 14 MWh of battery storage. Its published project information lists the expansion as under construction, with an earlier target of December 2025. [5]
Solar power offers several advantages in Togo. The country has strong sunlight, modular plants can be developed faster than many large thermal or hydro projects, and solar generation does not require imported fuel. It can reduce daytime demand on gas and oil plants, especially when air conditioning, commerce and industrial activity increase electricity use.
Solar also has limits. Production falls in the evening and changes with cloud cover. Batteries, flexible gas plants, hydropower, regional imports and stronger transmission lines are still required to maintain stable electricity service.
Sokodé Extends the Solar Buildout into Central Togo
The planned solar plant near Sokodé represents the next stage of Togo’s renewable energy development. In 2025, the African Development Bank approved €26.5 million in support for a project designed with approximately 62 MWp of solar capacity, equivalent to around 42 MW of alternating-current output. [6]
Sokodé is one of the country’s most important inland cities. Building generation in this area can support central and northern demand while reducing the amount of electricity that must be transferred over long distances from the coast.
The project also strengthens the connection between electricity development and regional economic policy. Central Togo has agricultural production, food processing, transport activity and growing urban demand. Reliable power can support cold storage, irrigation, small manufacturing, telecommunications and public services.
Blitta and Sokodé give Togo a more geographic form of energy diversification. The country is not only adding solar panels; it is placing new capacity along the national corridor between Lomé and the north. The success of that strategy will depend on whether transmission and distribution infrastructure develops at the same speed as generation.
Hydropower Links Togo to Benin and the Wider Regional Grid
Hydropower is an established part of Togo’s electricity supply, but its role is closely connected to neighbouring countries.
The Nangbeto hydroelectric plant is shared between Togo and Benin through the CEB system. Togo also receives hydroelectricity through imports from Ghana. As a result, hydro can represent a significant share of the electricity available to the Togolese grid even when the power is not produced by a plant controlled only by Togo.
In 2023, hydroelectric sources accounted for about 784.5 GWh of the electricity generated or purchased for the national system. That figure includes power supplied through regional arrangements and should not be interpreted as purely domestic Togolese production. [1]
Togo also has the smaller Kpimé hydropower plant near Kpalimé. Its capacity is limited compared with the country’s thermal stations and growing solar fleet, but it remains part of the country’s renewable-energy history.
Hydropower provides useful dispatchable electricity because output can be adjusted more easily than solar generation. However, it is exposed to rainfall patterns, river flows and drought. Climate change may make seasonal supply less predictable across West Africa.
Future hydro development must also consider land use, local communities, ecosystems and project cost. For Togo, regional hydro imports may remain more practical than relying only on large new dams inside its borders.
Transmission Infrastructure Is the Real Test of Togo’s Energy Expansion
Adding power plants will not solve Togo’s electricity problems unless the grid can move that electricity to consumers.
The existing system has faced overloaded lines, weak transfer capacity and frequent outages. Generation and distribution assets have traditionally been concentrated in and around Lomé, while inland areas have depended on a limited number of north–south connections.
A new high-voltage line between Kara, Dapaong and Mandouri was commissioned in late 2023, completing an important northern section of the national network and improving regional exchange capacity. Further reinforcement is still required between the south and the interior. [1]
The World Bank-backed Inclusive Development through Electricity Access project includes about 244 kilometres of new 161 kV transmission line between Davié, Notsé, Kpalimé and Atakpamé. New substations are planned at Notsé and Kpalimé, while existing facilities at Davié and Atakpamé are to be upgraded. The project also includes more than 1,000 kilometres of medium-voltage lines and electrification work in approximately 400 rural communities. [1]
These investments matter because transmission is the bridge between national policy and actual service. A solar plant may generate low-cost electricity, but its value is reduced if the network cannot carry the output. A rural community may be close to a power line, but households will remain unconnected if there are no transformers, local distribution lines or affordable meters.
Grid development also supports industrial policy. Agro-processing, mining, logistics facilities and manufacturing sites need more than basic access. They require stable voltage, predictable supply and enough capacity to operate machinery without depending on private diesel generators.
Nuclear Energy Remains at the Earliest Stage of Consideration
Togo does not operate a nuclear power plant and has no nuclear-generated electricity in its present energy mix.
The International Atomic Energy Agency places Togo in “pre-phase 1” of its nuclear power development framework. This is the earliest stage, before the formal studies, institutions and national decisions required for an active nuclear programme. Togo is therefore not preparing to construct a commercial reactor in the near term. [7]
The size of the electricity system is an important factor. A conventional nuclear reactor could be several times larger than Togo’s total peak demand. Connecting such a unit would require a much larger and stronger regional grid, major backup capacity, a nuclear regulator, trained personnel, long-term financing and detailed arrangements for safety and waste management.
Small modular reactors may eventually be more suitable for smaller electricity systems, but commercial availability, financing and regulation remain uncertain. For the foreseeable future, Togo’s investment priorities are more likely to remain solar power, battery storage, gas generation, regional interconnection and grid expansion.
Nuclear power may remain a subject of long-term regional study, particularly as the West African Power Pool becomes more connected. It is not currently a practical foundation for Togo’s national electricity strategy.
Biomass and Cooking Energy Remain Part of the Wider Energy Picture
An energy profile based only on power plants would miss a large part of how energy is used in Togo. Many households continue to depend on firewood and charcoal for cooking, particularly outside the main urban centres.
Traditional biomass is renewable in a basic sense, but it is not automatically sustainable or clean. Inefficient stoves create indoor smoke, while heavy demand for wood and charcoal can contribute to forest loss and land degradation. The time required to collect fuel can also reduce opportunities for education and paid work.
Expanding electricity access does not immediately end biomass use. Electricity may remain too expensive for cooking, and many households continue using several fuels at the same time. Liquefied petroleum gas can provide a cleaner option, but cylinder prices, distribution networks and refill availability influence adoption.
Clean cooking is therefore connected to energy policy, public health, forestry and household income. Solar home systems may provide lighting and communications, but most small systems cannot power electric cooking appliances. Togo will need a mix of improved stoves, LPG, electricity, biogas and other locally suitable technologies.
Togo’s Energy Policy Must Close Three Gaps at Once
Togo’s energy strategy must address access, reliability and financial sustainability at the same time.
The first gap is access. Millions of people still live without a formal electricity connection, especially in rural regions. Grid expansion, solar home systems and mini-grids must continue together rather than compete as separate approaches.
The second gap is reliability. Togo needs more domestic generation, but it also needs stronger transmission lines, substations, storage and regional connections. Gas plants provide flexible power, while solar can reduce fuel imports. Neither source can work effectively without a stable grid.
The third gap concerns sector finances. CEET has faced high power-purchase costs, system losses, unpaid bills and electricity tariffs that have not always covered the full cost of service. World Bank documents reported that CEET’s debts exceeded US$400 million in 2023. Financial pressure limits the utility’s ability to maintain existing infrastructure or finance new connections. [1]
An earlier government roadmap set targets of raising renewable energy to at least 50 percent of generation capacity and reducing electricity-import dependence below 30 percent by 2025. Available project reporting does not establish that both targets were achieved by the deadline. Togo’s revised climate commitment also calls for economy-wide greenhouse-gas emissions to fall 50.57 percent below the projected business-as-usual level by 2030, with international support included in the full target. [1][8]
The future of energy in Togo will be determined by how these goals are converted into working infrastructure. Solar power at Blitta and Sokodé can reduce fuel dependence. Gas plants can provide flexible domestic generation. Regional power trade can support the system during shortages. Transmission investment can bring more power inland, while off-grid systems can reach communities that remain too distant from the network.
Togo is unlikely to become a major coal, oil, natural gas or nuclear producer. Its opportunity lies in building a balanced electricity system around solar energy, regional cooperation, selective thermal generation and a stronger national grid. The decisive measure will not be the number of projects announced, but whether households and businesses across the country receive electricity that is reliable, affordable and available when they need it.