He says annual fuel consumption would be reduced by 28k tons
By M.A. Egge
The Minister of Energy and Minerals Hon. Ahmed Jama Barre has said that the annual fuel consumption would be reduced by 28250 tons.
He was underscoring the importance of the Berbera electricity project as he spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Berbera Solar Power Project, which had its foundation stone laid by the President of Somaliland, H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, shaded light on the various stages of the project and the benefits it would bring to the country’s electricity system in general, and especially for the port city of Berbera.
He pointed out the efforts they made to achieve the project and said:
“The energy we use in the country as a whole is twenty percent renewable energy, and we are encouraging and enabling us to use renewable energy, which is now 20% of what we use in the country.
“Today we are at the President’s ceremony for the Berbera Solar Power Project, a groundbreaking ceremony which was the result of many efforts that we worked upon day and night with the ministry team and The World Bank project, which I am very grateful for.
“The overall objectives of this project, which is aimed at Berbera, are to achieve affordable electricity and to improve the energy connection network in these cities”.
The Minister pointed out that his goal as a ministry is to obtain affordable, reliable energy that the people can afford. He said
“Mr. President, based on the party’s plans and the government’s vision of Togetherness and Action, which is based on ensuring that the people of Somaliland receive safe, reliable and affordable electricity, we aim to reduce the price of electricity in Somaliland throughout the country.
“Mr. President, in the current situation we are in throughout the country, when assessed, electricity reaches almost 50% only of the entire country”.
In conclusion, the Minister detailed the aim of the project and the energy it would produce as well as the fuel consumption it shall eliminate annually, which will be beneficial to the country and indicated
He noted, “Mr. President, this project will provide to the city of Berbera, 12 M/W of solar energy and 36 MW/H of battery energy storage, which we have already visited, in the areas where there is the greatest need.
“The project will cover ninety percent of the demand, and it is also estimated that this project will produce 22.6 G/W/H of solar energy, equivalent to 62,000 KW/H per day, which means that this project will reduce fuel consumption by 28,250 tons per year”.