Abu Dhabi (South24 Center)

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On Monday, May 5, the UAE capital Abu Dhabi witnessed the signing of a new agreement to expand the capacity of the Aden solar power plant by adding 120 megawatts to the facility located in the Bir Ahmed area of the capital, Aden. The expansion will be funded by the United Arab Emirates.

Under the supervision of Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, Vice President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), the signing ceremony was attended by Yemen’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Eng. Manea Bin Yameen, the Governor of Aden, Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, and the Director-General of the Public Electricity Corporation, Eng. Mujib Al-Shuaibi. Representing the Emirati side was Ali Al-Shammari, Managing Director and CEO of Global South Utilities (GSU)

The expansion, which is expected to significantly boost the plant’s generation capacity, will help ease the chronic electricity crisis in Aden, particularly during the summer season when power demand peaks.

‘South24 Center’ had previously addressed the issue in an analytical report published on March 27, 2025, titled ’Clean Transition: Aden’s Solar Plant as a Beacon of Hope for the Future’, which detailed the gap in Aden’s electricity infrastructure. According to the report, summer electricity demand in the city reaches around 750 megawatts, while actual generation capacity barely exceeds 500 megawatts at best.

According to the same report, the solar power plant, officially inaugurated on July 15, 2024, produces up to 95 megawatts—equivalent to the combined output of the Haswa and Mansoura fuel-powered plants—and is considered one of the UAE’s most prominent renewable energy projects in Yemen.

Nawar Abkar, Director of the Public Electricity Corporation’s Media Office in Aden, told ‘South24 Center’ that the plant’s expansion marks the second phase of a broader project aimed at eventually reaching a total production capacity of 650 megawatts. He noted that the expansion study was completed earlier this year and includes the addition of 30 megawatts worth of battery storage systems to supply power at night.

The signing of the agreement comes amid a severe power crisis in the Yemeni capital Aden, where daily blackouts exceed 22 hours, amid a persistent shortage of fuel supplies and sharp production deficits. Meanwhile, the neighboring governorates of Lahij, Abyan, and Al-Dhalea have experienced near-total power outages for over 20 consecutive days, further compounding the suffering of residents as summer approaches.

New Yemeni PM Salem Bin Brik attends PLC Meeting

In a parallel political and economic context, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council held a meeting in Riyadh on Monday, chaired by President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi and attended by the newly appointed Prime Minister Salem Bin Brik, to address a range of economic and service-related challenges facing the country.

The Council reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the new government in confronting the economic crisis and enhancing institutional performance. It stressed the importance of the government operating from within the country, activating governance mechanisms, implementing institutional reforms, and combating corruption.

Discussions also focused on improving fuel supply and increasing electricity generation capacity, amid mounting pressure on the power grid in Aden and other government-controlled areas.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen and the Head of the Economic Team provided comprehensive briefings on the financial and monetary performance and proposed measures to strengthen resources and boost institutional capacity in the face of ongoing challenges.