Solar Power Plant For Somaliland In The Horn Of Africa

The Vice President of the Republic of Somaliland H.E. Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail Saylici has inaugurated development projects funded by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation in Somaliland.

The projects include a US$8 million dollar solar power plant in Berbera, a state of the art dialysis unit in Hargeisa Group Hospital, and two new healthcare facilities in Berbera and Burao.

The seven-megawatt solar power plant in Berbera is expected to reduce high electricity costs and cut emissions from diesel generators currently in operation.

The Vice President stated that electricity costs have not been finalized yet but he expects it to be much lower than current prices.

According to a statement released by the Abu Dhabi Fund For Development, the project cost is 29.3 million dirhams or US$8 million.

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is also financing the construction of the Berbera Corridor project linking Berbera to Ethiopia.

Emirati News Agency reported that the solar power plant is a public-private-partnership and that the Somaliland government will be supported by a consulting company named Coretec.

In addition, the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has handed three state-of-the-art medical facilities including a dialysis unit to the Ministry of Healthcare Development of Somaliland.

The facilities are in Hargeisa, Berbera, and Burao.

Details about the medical facilities including cost, capacity, and if the foundation will provide future support to these facilities were shared.

This article first appeared in the Somaliland Chronicle and is republished with permission.