- U.S. aid organization Mercy Corps has opened a call for expressions of interest in designing, building and operating several mini-grids at three refugee camps around Jigjiga, a city in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia at the border with Somalia.
The developer selected will have to harness the solar resource potential of the three camps, estimate required energy demand and investigate land options for the mini-grids. The off-grid installations should be designed for easy expansion and integration into the national grid, Mercy Corps said, and the closing date for the submission of proposals is on Wednesday.
The three camps host refugees from Somalia. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, estimates 14,951 refugees lived at the Kebribeyah camp in February, with 12,120 at Aw Barre and 11,994 at Sheder.
Ethiopia’s cumulative PV capacity stood at just 11 MW at the end of last year, according to International Renewable Energy Agency figures.
Author: Emiliano Bellini
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
