The African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced plans to invest US$58mn into Eritrea’s power system to expand clean electricity and support rural economic growthThe funding will expand access to reliable and clean electricity across three towns in the country’s southwest Gash Barka region.It will support deployment of a 34 MW solar-powered mini-grid system that will strengthen distribution networks and expand local energy capacity, delivering affordable, reliable electricity for households and businesses in and around Tesseney, Berantu and Kerkebet, according to said Kevin Kariuki, AfDB’s vice-president for power, energy, climate and green growth.“This timely investment will help deliver reliable and affordable clean power to communities in Eritrea that need it most,” he said, “thereby spurring job creation, strengthening local economies and helping Eritrea move towards a sustainable energy future.”Under the Eritrea Energy Integrated Project for Tesseney, Kerkebet and Berantu, AfDB will provide an African Development Fund grant of US$37.31mn, plus a US$20.73mn grant sourced from the bank’s Transition Support Facility.The project will also power clean water pumping, improve irrigation and agricultural productivity, and enable small enterprises and agro-processing to extend operating hours and reduce costs.In addition, 542 km of distribution lines will be constructed or upgraded.The project is also expected to create jobs, particularly during construction and operational phases and will strengthen local technical skills and support the growth of small enterprises linked to renewable energy services.Overall, the Eritrea Energy Integrated Project is expected to benefit around 306,000 people, as well as help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time, and support Eritrea’s transition towards a low carbon and climate resilient economy.The project, which falls under the AfDB’s Desert to Power initiative, adopts an integrated approach that links energy access with agro-processing, irrigation, and local industrial development to unlock broader socio-economic transformation.Desert to Power is the bank’s flagship renewable energy and economic development initiative that aims to harness the vast solar energy potential of eleven countries in the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan.It aims to increase electricity access for populations in regional member countries within the context of Mission 300 – a partnership with the World Bank to deliver electricity to 300 million additional Africans by 2030.Read more:
Eritrea to get 34 MW solar mini-grid system
Eritrea to get solar mini-grid system (Image source: Adobe Stock)
