Aden (South24 Center)

The Minister of Electricity and Energy, along with the governors of Dhalea and Lahj, on Tuesday (December 23), laid the foundation stone for two solar power plant projects in the two governorates, with Emirati support and funding, and a total capacity of 30 megawatts, according to official sources.

In Dhalea governorate, the foundation stone was laid for a 10-megawatt solar power plant in the Hakoula area, aimed at providing the governorate’s regions with sustainable electricity, contributing to the improvement of basic services for residents, and reducing reliance on generators and traditional fuel.

In a related context, the Minister of Electricity and the governor of Lahj laid the foundation stone for a 20-megawatt solar power plant project in the city of Al-Houta, as part of efforts to enhance renewable energy projects in the South governorates and to continue supporting infrastructure development in the electricity sector.

These projects come after the implementation of similar projects with Emirati support in several south Yemeni governorates, most notably the operation of a 120-megawatt solar power plant in the capital Aden in July 2024, in addition to the Shabwa governorate plant with a capacity of 53 megawatts, which was inaugurated on August 28.

In August, the second phase of the Aden solar plant expansion was announced, adding another 120 megawatts.

The implementation of these projects reflects a trend toward supporting the electricity sector amid the challenges it faces and the decline in the capacity of the traditional system reliant on diesel and mazut fuel.

On November 26, the capital Aden witnessed the launch of the National Sustainable Energy Conference, during which a four-phase plan was announced to reform the electricity sector and reduce outages, alongside an Emirati pledge to provide $1 billion in funding to support renewable energy projects.