Will a 120 MW solar plant be built in Yemen?

Masdar has signed a joint cooperation agreement with Yemen’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy to build a 120 MW solar plant in Aden. It will be the country’s first large-scale renewable energy project. Image: IFC, Al Kuraimi. Masdar, an Abu Dhabi-based renewables developer, is set to build a 120 MW solar plant in Yemen.

Does Yemen have solar energy?

According to a recent paper by Berlin-based Energy Access and Development Program (EADP), solar become the main source of energy for Yemeni households after 2016 – two years after the start of its ongoing civil war. EADP said that 75% of the urban population and 50% of the rural population in Yemen have access to solar energy.

What is a solar project in Yemen?

The deal includes the construction of transmission lines and transformer stations. The solar project will be built in Aden. The 120 MW plant will be the “first and the largest strategic project to generate electricity through clean and renewable energy” in Yemen, according to the Yemeni Energy Minister Manea bin Yameen.

Why are people moving to solar power in Yemen?

The migration to solar power is part of what researchers say is an energy revolution in the country of 28 million, where the electric grid has been decimated by fighting. More than 50 percent of Yemeni households rely on the sun as their main source of energy, and solar arrays power everything from shops to schools to hospitals.

Is solar power a lifeline in Yemen?

“For many in Yemen, especially for farmers, solar power has been a lifeline,” says Matt Leonard, who specializes in microfinance with IFC. “The key now is to scale up its use.” Yemen has long been the poorest country in the Middle East and North Africa, but a conflict that broke out in 2014 has pushed the country to the brink.

What is the Solar Power Revolution in Yemen?

The solar power revolution in Yemen has clearly saved lives — it has, for example, powered hospitals and medical clinics. It has also transformed lives.