In recent years, renewable energy in Somalia has brought electricity to some of the poorest regions. “Previously, when we paid for the diesel and the worker’s wages, we couldn’t break even and sometimes we made a loss. But now we are making profits,” a Somali local farmer, Halima Abdulle Gabow, tells Deutsche Welle about the solar panels on her farm. The country started the move toward renewable energy in about 2016 and about 10% of its energy now comes from renewable sources. Renewable energy in Somalia has become a solution uniquely suitable to Somalia’s low electricity accessibility.

Civil War and Somalia’s Shattered Power Infrastructure

When the 1991 uprising threw Somalia into a lasting civil war, the nationalized energy infrastructure was completely privatized overnight without regulation. What happened immediately was a total blackout with almost no electricity accessible to the country. In 2009, when conflicting factions signed a peace treaty in congress to establish an effective coalition government, the electricity accessibility rate increased in one year from 25% to 52%. However, the situation has remained stagnant since 2009. In 2020, almost half of the population lacked access to electricity and only one-third of the rural population had access to electricity.

According to a Stimson Center research study that Abdirahman Aynte and Eugene Chen conducted, the lack of nationwide energy planning renders Somalia to regional private power grids that are disconnected, unregulated and overlapping. These mini power grids mostly rely on diesel generators and, to operate, these generators demand diesel at their dispersed power plants. Guerilla warfare, poor traffic infrastructure and the current Russo-Ukrainian war all contribute to the high cost of diesel in unstable areas. As a result, electricity prices in Somalia are extremely expensive and volatile. Depending on the region, the price can vary from $0.30 per kWh to $1.00 per kWh, starkly contrasting neighboring Ethiopia’s price of $0.06 per kWh.

Renewable Energy Suitability for Somalia

The scorching and consistent sunshine combined with ideal windy conditions means Somalia holds great renewable energy potential. The Stimson Center explains that “Somalia has the highest resource potential for onshore wind power in Africa and the country experiences 3,000 hours of sunlight per year with daily solar radiation ranging between 5-7 kWh/m2 per day, which equates to strong solar photovoltaic electricity generation capacity.” Furthermore, Somalia “could potentially produce up to 45,000 MW from wind and 2,000 MW from solar power.”

But beyond geographical reasons, renewable energy presents a solution to Somalia’s disorganized energy infrastructure and its unstable political situation. According to Aynte and Chen’s research, there are three reasons why renewable energy is suitable for Somalia.

First, because of the lack of an integrated power grid, renewable energy has a comparative advantage over diesel generators. Unlike diesel generators, solar and wind power plants do not require fuel and local electric service providers can often repair solar panels on-site. The low logistical demand gives solar energy an advantage as Somalia also does not have a comprehensive transportation infrastructure.

Second, the ease of logistical demand makes renewable electricity supply a more reliable solution in conflict areas. Extremist groups such as al-Shabab control a substantial portion of Somalia’s main supply routes and fuel transportation becomes jeopardized. As renewable energy does not rely on constant refueling, areas with renewable energy enjoy a more stable electricity supply.

Finally, the competitive nature of the electricity market attracts electrical providers to renewable energy sources. As private power grids are positioned closely one against another, often overlapping each other, the energy market of Somalia is extremely competitive. Electricity providers have to seek the most competitive business model to survive the vibrant competition. And, renewable energy is the most economical power source for the reasons listed above.

The Future of Renewable Energy in Somalia

Moving forward, renewable energy in Somalia still faces some obstacles to developing scalable electric infrastructure. According to Somalia’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources official, despite the success of renewable energy in Somalia, there is no replacement for an integrated nationwide power grid. While currently, remote areas gain their rudimentary access to electricity through mini-power grids, mini-power grids are ultimately unable to sustain the demand of future vibrant economic activities.

But, Somalia is already seeing visible gains through renewable energy initiatives. According to the World Bank, through the Somalia Business Catalytic Fund, solar company Solargen was able to begin an initiative to provide affordable solar power access to vendors, businesses and other entities in the town of Warsheikh and create more than 2,200 jobs through these businesses.

According to Aynte and Chen’s research, switching to wind turbines has successfully reduced electricity costs by almost 40% in the city of Garowe, while providing cost-free electricity to power streetlights, healthcare facilities, police stations and religious institutions.

Even though renewable energy in Somalia is still in its infancy, the significant cost benefit of renewable energy has already made an impression on impoverished Somalis.

– Peiyi Yu
Photo: Flickr