African Development Bank Puns

A 2018 African Development Bank study found that Somalia has the highest potential of any African nation for onshore wind power — if it can harness it.

Samatar Mohamed, an economics lecturer at Mogadishu University, agrees. He thinks the country just hasn’t been able to unleash its full potential.

He says if Somalia is able to take advantage of the its abundant renewable energy potential, the price of a kilowatt-hour would not be as expensive as it is. The utility rate would be cheap, and everyone would be able to afford electricity, he added.

Somalia lacks a national power grid and relies on imported fuel, wood and charcoal to address its energy needs. But energy experts say with the longest coastline in mainland Africa & an average of 10 hours of sunshine per day, Somalia has great potential for onshore wind & solar power.

Somalia’s private power companies rely on imported diesel to meet demand, making Mogadishu power cost more than 3x the price of the global average.

Mohamed Dubo, the director of the Somalia Investment Promotion Office, the office tasked with efforts to implement renewable energy, says Somalia is endowed with vast natural resources.

Among the renewable energy sources are wind and solar energy. Dubo says Somalia’s wind speeds are quite high, even the fastest in the world, and these can generate substantial amounts of electricity. Similarly, he says, the country has extended periods of sunshine, and, therefore, the potential to even sell power to its neighbors.

Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_somalia-green-energy-association-touts-clean-power-potential/6208860.html