- Humanitarian Energy (HumEn) has been awarded the first-ever commercial licence to build a solar mini-grid in Ethiopia.
To electrify its people, Ethiopia will rely more on solar energy, including solar mini grids. Humanitarian Energy (HumEn), a firm established in Ethiopia and owned by Mercy Corps and Rensys Engineering and Trading, has received the first commercial mini-grid license ever granted by the Ethiopian Petroleum and Energy Authority (PEA).
For the sake of refugees and host communities in Sheder, a town in Somali regional state, Humanitarian Energy plans to set up a mini grid powered by a 253 kWp solar photovoltaic plant.
Beyond the humanitarian side of this project, Ethiopian authorities’ decision to award a commercial license for the operation of a solar mini grid is a second clear indication that they intend to use this decentralized approach to electrify their rural people. Only 32% of Ethiopia’s rural population has access to power, according to Power Africa. As has been observed in nations like Nigeria where these installations are being implemented in huge numbers, solar mini grids are a significant asset.
But Ethiopia, which is developing its agricultural more quickly, has already cleared the road for solar energy in this important industry. In order to finance the purchase of solar-powered irrigation equipment, Addis Abeba has developed the “Dream” (Distributed Renewable Energy-Agriculture Modalities) program. The multilateral programme will be implemented in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI).