In December 2025, a comprehensive five-day training workshop was held in Djibouti to build capacity on the practical use of the African Forum for Utility Regulators’ (AFUR) African Model Minigrid Regulations Tool. Delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Energy of Djibouti, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP), with support from UNDP and funding made possible through generous contributions from the governments of Denmark and Luxembourg via the UNDP Funding Windows, this workshop is one of several ongoing regional trainings designed to scale Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) solutions.
Djibouti’s energy access landscape presents a complex challenge: while approximately 65% of the population has access to electricity, a significant divide remains between urban areas (73%) and rural communities (36%). Additionally, electricity tariffs rank among the highest globally, ranging from a social price of $0.153/kWh to $0.426/kWh, creating affordability pressures that could hinder expanded access.
The AMP Djibouti project aims to address these challenges by enhancing the financial sustainability of solar-based minigrid systems while maintaining affordable tariffs for end-users. Central to this effort is strengthening regulatory capacity and policy frameworks to foster private sector engagement and scalable mini-grid deployment.
The training brought together over 30 participants from government ministries, regulatory bodies, private sector actors, and academia. Through a blend of technical presentations, hands-on modelling, and scenario analysis, attendees gained practical skills in designing transparent, cost-reflective, and socially equitable tariff structures using the AFUR Mingrid Tariff Tool.
Pre- and post-training assessments demonstrated significant improvements in technical, financial, and regulatory competencies—particularly in tariff structuring, financial modelling, and sensitivity analysis. This enhanced expertise equips Djibouti’s regulators and developers with the tools necessary to advance sustainable minigrid solutions that balance commercial viability with affordability.
This workshop supports the wider AMP Djibouti initiative, which includes institutional reforms, policy development, pilot minigrid projects, and the establishment of technical standards to accelerate rural electrification. Key achievements to date include advancing a public-private partnership model for minigrid delivery, ongoing validation of rural electrification laws, and the launch of pilot solar minigrids in Yoboki and Dorra.
Continued collaboration between the Ministry of Energy, AMP, UNDP, and other partners remains vital to institutionalizing these gains, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and supporting the scale-up of clean energy access in Djibouti’s underserved regions.
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