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B2Gold completes Fekola Solar Plant expansion in Mali

B2Gold Corp has completed the Phase 2 expansion of the Fekola Solar Plant, which began in June 2023 with land clearing and road construction and progressed to physical equipment construction in February 2024.

The expansion of the Fekola Solar Plant was completed in the fourth quarter of 2024 and became operational in January 2025, adding 46,200 solar panels and bringing the total panel count to 142,912.

The construction of the Fekola Solar Plant resulted in the creation of over 120 local jobs, with 13 individuals trained to maintain the expansion area post-completion. The company also partnered with a local drilling company for services.

Ken Jones, Director of Sustainability for B2Gold, commented, “The expansion of the Fekola Solar Plant is a significant initiative in support of B2Gold’s emission reduction target. The expanded facility will allow the Fekola site team to turn off the HFO plant for a portion of the day during times of sufficient solar radiation, a tremendous achievement for B2Gold and a testament to our commitment to implementing renewable energy solutions.”

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Operating at full capacity, the expansion to the Fekola Solar Plant will provide an additional 22 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity (52 MW total capacity) and 12.7 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery capacity (27.7 MWh total capacity). The expanded Fekola Solar Plant is expected to reduce annual emissions by an estimated 63,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and reduce the annual consumption of heavy fuel oil (HFO) by an estimated 20 million litres. The expanded Fekola Solar Plant is expected to supply approximately 30% of the site’s total electricity demand and is one of the largest off-grid solar/HFO hybrid power plants in the world.

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B2Gold is actively exploring and implementing renewable energy sources for global operations while also pursuing decarbonisation initiatives to mitigate climate risks and achieve a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to a 2021 baseline.

B2Gold acquired the Fekola project in 2014 through a merger with Papillon Resources Limited. The Fekola Complex is located in southwest Mali, on the border between Mali and Senegal, approximately 500 km due west of the capital city, Bamako.