Yemen’s First Large-Scale Solar Plant Brings Relief to Aden Amid Power Crisis

The country’s first large-scale solar power facility is providing much-needed electricity to residents and businesses in Aden, offering relief from years of crippling outages.

The 120 MW Aden Solar Power Plant, funded by the United Arab Emirates and operational since July 2024, marks a pivotal step in Yemen’s transition towards renewable energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has previously identified Yemen as the Middle East’s least electrified nation.

Located north of Aden, the interim capital of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, the plant currently supplies electricity to an estimated 150,000 to 170,000 households daily, according to plant technician Sabri al-Maamari.

For businesses, the facility is already making a difference. “Power outages used to cause damage to goods, and when we returned the damaged items to the suppliers, they would not accept them, leaving us, the merchants, to bear the loss,” said Mubarak Qaid, a supermarket owner in Aden.

Yemen has struggled with nearly three decades of electricity shortages caused by chronic fuel scarcity and extensive damage to power infrastructure during the country’s prolonged conflict.

While solar energy accounted for just 10.4% of Yemen’s electricity generation in 2023, according to the IEA, capacity is set to rise further. A second phase of the Aden project, scheduled for completion in 2026, aims to double output and strengthen the country’s renewable energy base.