Djibouti, July 22, 2024— UNDP, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Energy recently hosted a two-day national dialogue and workshop on rural electrification The aim was to convene stakeholders to discuss improving access to clean energy by increasing financial viability and encouraging large-scale commercial investment in low carbon minigrids in Djibouti.
National Dialogue and Workshop
The sessions covered challenges and opportunities for sustainable renewable energy to advance rural electrification in Djibouti, including institutional frameworks and electrification plans.
The discussions also delved into pathways and strategies to stimulate private sector involvement, such as increasing investments in rural electrification by facilitating project development and financing. Stakeholder engaged in several group exercises, closing with a proposed roadmap.
Empowering Yoboki: AMP Djibouti’s Vision for Sustainable Energy
One of AMP Djibouti‘s minigrid sites is Yoboki village, located in the Southwestern part of the country, 50 km from the town of Dikhil. The community has a population of about 2,000 persons residing in about 400 households. Yoboki has a distribution system that covers around 250 households, with the main source of electricity being a community diesel-powered generation plant, supplying a total capacity of 100 kVA. A management committee is responsible for operations, maintenance, and tariff collection at a monthly flat rate for intermittent power supply for 6 hours/day (traditionally from 6 pm to midnight, used for lighting and ventilation). The money is then used to purchase fuel for the generator. However, the capacity of the existing generator is reported to be insufficient for the village’s demand. Households are facing severe voltage drops, which leads to breakdowns in the equipment installed in the dwellings (such as refrigerators). In addition, many traditional huts (toukouls) are scattered near the village without connection to the local grid.
The village also has 50 solar street lighting units, some of which are installed at community centers and playgrounds. It has schools, shops, a water pumping station, a community centre, and a dispensary, some of which use stand-alone solar systems or diesel generators. There are also some income-generating activities in the village and the surrounding areas, such as light agricultural work and craft-making. Overall, the economic benefits for the village are extremely limited.
Based on the assessment, these are some of the factors identified as challenges and opportunities that resulted in the site being selected as an AMP site location. AMP Djibouti’s project coordinator spoke on the initiative during the dialogue.
As the site is developed, more information will be made available.
