Choking on diesel costs, Somali firm turns to solar for cheaper power

(Reuters, 2 Jun 2020) The panels now supply power for four hours a day to BECO's 300,000 customers, with generators providing electricity the rest of the time - but it has plans to add more solar capacity.

A new solar power plant in Mogadishu should quadruple the city's generation capacity and cut bills, the owners said, providing relief to businesses facing crippling costs from diesel-generated electricity.

BECO, Somalia's largest electricity supplier, said it had been producing 8 megawatts (MW) since March using solar panels bought from Germany and Britain, and this was expected to increase to 100 MW by 2022, at a cost of $40 million.

"It is a risky business," chief engineer Mohamud Farah told Reuters, noting that a profit from safer bets such as investing in milk powder was almost guaranteed.

"But we are happy to be the first company to install solar energy to supply cheaper electricity."

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Reuters, 2 Jun 2020: Choking on diesel costs, Somali firm turns to solar for cheaper power