Anwar Kalshat, Yemen’s electricity minister, stated that the government is looking at building solar power plants that can produce up to 20 megawatts.
Kalshat stated that the war-torn nation will receive support from Saudi Arabia in the amount of USD 200 million. This is to ensure the fuel required to run power plants during the higher summer demand.
Kalshat stated that Yemen planned to build solar plants with capacities ranging from 10 MW to 20MW, and even up to 70MW in a previous interview. The Arab country launched a tender in 2020 to find a contractor, but the bids submitted by local firms were too expensive compared to other nations in the region.
New solar projects are being considered after the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Programme for Yemen, Riyadh-based organization The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), and Yemen’s Selah Foundation for Development announced at the start of 2022 a USD 2.1-million joint project that aims to deploy renewable energy in Yemen. This initiative will improve the quality of life in five Arab governorates. Renewable energy will be used to generate electricity for private homes, public buildings, and irrigation.
Yemen has been in civil war for over a decade. Now, it wants to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 15% of electricity generation by 2025.
