Djibouti launches first wind farm to increase domestic power output

Djibouti has inaugurated Red Sea Power, a wind farm project that will produce 60 MW electricity in a bid to reduce power shortage and increase domestic output by 50 per cent.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh unveiled the project over the last week-end. Red Sea Power is located in Ghoubet, 120 km from capital Djibouti.

The plant is made of 17 wind turbines and a 220 MVA sub-station and 5 km overhead transmission line to connect to the Electricite de Djibouti (“EDD”) substation.

It cost $122 million and has been funded by FMO Private Equity, Climate Investor One, Africa Finance Corporation and Great Horn Investment Holdings. Red Sea Power is set to provide electricity to 38% of the country’s population that currently does not have access to it.

The African country in the horn of the continent depends heavily on power generated from imported fossil fuels, as well as hydrogen generated power imported from neighboring Ethiopia.

The country has enough wind, solar and geothermal resources and seeks to achieve its goal of 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. In addition to power to be generated, the Red Sea Power partners have built a solar-powered desalination plant that will provide drinking water to villages near the farm.