Wind Energy Applications Pilot Project
Eritrea
Climate Change
Project No. 00031458
Project Site: Southern Coastal Areas of Eritrea
On-going (July 2004-December 2008)
GEF Grant
US$ 1.956 million
Cofinance
UNDP US$ 1.698 million, Gov. of Eritrea-US$ 0.50 million
Project Cost
US$ 4.154 million
Overview
Eritrea, one of the world’s least developed countries, has acute energy shortages, especially in
rural areas. More than 85 percent of the rural population and 20 percent of urban residents have
no electricity access and per capita electricity consumption is an extremely low. Eritrea gets 66.3
percent of its energy from biomass (fuel-wood, dung, charcoal, agricultural residue), 31.6 percent
from oil products and 2.1 percent from oil-generated electricity.
The country’s energy consumption is 68 percent by the household sector, 16 percent by the
commercial/public sector, 13 percent by transport and just three percent by industry. There is also
an unequal distribution of the power supply system in the country with about 82 percent
consumed in the commercial and industrial areas concentrated around the capital, Asmara.
The biomass energy, which provides 80 percent of total energy consumption, and is used mainly
for cooking and basic living needs, is burnt in inefficient traditional stoves. It contributes to
deforestation, land degradation and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity generated
by fossil fuels also increases greenhouse gas emissions. Kerosene, used for lighting, causes
respiratory and eye diseases.
The Government of Eritrea is aware of global environmental concerns and global climate
protection goals, and has funded capacity building and energy research into renewable energy
technologies. It has conducted studies into solar radiation and wind speeds, the improvement of
cooking stoves, and the potential of using civic waste for energy generation. It has also
implemented a programme for providing schools, village water pumps and hospitals in rural areas
with small PV systems.
Project description
The project, which is the second of its kind in the Sub Saharan African countries after Mauritania,
aims to transform the market for wind energy in Eritrea by connecting a small (750 kW) wind park
to the grid and by installing eight decentralized stand-alone wind and wind-hybrid systems in rural
villages which will promote sustainable socio-economic development as well as improve the
quality of life for Eritrea’s rural population of wind-rich regions
A total reduction of 37,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions is estimated from the wind park and off-grid
installations, over the 20-year lifetime of the generating equipment. The project will also reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by supplying cleanly produced electricity from renewable sources.
The project will also strengthen Eritrea’s capacity for the newly-introduced wind energy utilization
in both governmental institutions and private companies to ensure that wind energy will be
considered in future national electrification plans, particularly in Eritrea’s wind-rich regions, by
showing it to be a cost-effective electricity generation technology, which can be replicated
throughout the country.
Selected project results

The 750kW wind farm at the port of Assab has been installed, tested and is generating
clean renewable energy (electricity) supply to the population;

Sites for the stand-alone wind and wind-hybrid systems have been chosen, community
leaders educated in advantages of wind energy, and tender for erecting the small
turbibes awarded to SOYUT Co (Turkish).
Legal

New policies and legislation for on-grid renewable energy have been drafted.
Training

An awareness-building workshop has been held for government officials and the private
sector.

A series of managerial and technical training for more than 25 staff from relevant
ministries and the private sector continuously provided to enhance planning (design),
operation, maintenance and replication of wind energy technologies in Eritrea

Project management, financial and environmental analysis training sessions have been
held.
Partners etc
GEF Implementing Agency is UNDP and the executing agency is Eritrea’s Department of Energy
(Ministry of Energy and Mines)
Last update: 02 September, 2008