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Djibouti’s new 60 MW windfarm boosts the country’s energy capacity by 50%, with further developments already planned.
September 10th, by Charles Dietz
President Ismail Omar Guelleh today inaugurated Djibouti’s first-ever windfarm, advancing his stated ambition to make the nation of 1.1m the first in Africa to rely entirely on renewable sources for electricity by 2035.
The Red Sea Power (RSP) windfarm, near Lake Goubet, will provide 60 MW of clean energy, boosting overall capacity by 50% and averting 252,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. As the first significant international investment in the energy sector in Djibouti, the $122m project creates the country’s first independent power producer (IPP) and sets a template for further private investment.
Until now, Djibouti has been entirely reliant on power generated from imported fossil fuels, as well as hydrogen generated power imported from neighbouring Ethiopia. Critically for the East African nation, the new clean energy will spur industrialisation, job creation and economic stability as Djibouti seeks to take advantage of its strategic location as a global transshipment hub.
More projects planned
An additional 45 MW of renewable energy is already planned by the consortium of investors behind RSP, namely, infrastructure solutions provider Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) as lead developer; the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO; blended finance fund manager Climate Fund Managers (CFM); and Great
