Leading the green energy revolution at the heart of Djibouti

Djibouti / 02 August 2021

Situated at the junction of three tectonic plates in the Horn of Africa, and blessed with year-round sunshine, Djibouti boasts great potential to develop solar, geothermal and wind energy.
Spanning over 23,000 km2, the country is today dependent on domestic thermal power production and imports from Ethiopia for its electricity consumption and plans to boost its domestic renewable energy capacity.

Corporate Affairs Department

Fatima Zohra Kohen

fatima.kohen.ext@siemensgamesa.com +212 671040593

Djibouti’s electricity demand is expected to considerably increase over the coming years at a rate of between 3% to 5% annually, thanks to various large-scale infrastructure projects including ports, free trade zones and railways that the government has committed to build.

The Goubet wind farm aims to preserve Djibouti’s identity and the places close by that make up its history such as Lake Assal

To help meet the country’s rising energy demand, Siemens Gamesa sealed a contract in early January 2020 to build the country’s first ever wind power plant with a capacity of 59MW. The onshore project is in the Arta Region, a location that was favored due to its consistent average wind speeds throughout the year, as well as the presence of an existing road network to access the site from Djibouti City.
The wind project covers an area of 395 hectares close to a natural resource that provides a livelihood for many inhabitants of the Horn of Africa: Lake Assal. The lake is regarded as one of the world’s largest salt reserves, holding more than six million tons of precious salt. Indeed, it is the third largest saltiest water reserve in the world fed by hot springs, and only smaller than the Don Juan Pond in the Antarctic and the Gaetale Pond in Ethiopia.

The Goubet wind farm aims to preserve Djibouti’s identity and the places close by that make up its history such as Lake Assal. The same lake that has witnessed for a long time the tiring journey of The Cushtites and The Afars, two ethnic groups inhabiting in the Horn of Africa, who courageously travel 6,000 kilometers each time they need to collect salt. This new wind farm will provide another source of income besides the salt collection, and at the same time create job opportunities for Djibouti’s community. Earlier this year, Goubet successfully received the shipment of all 17 of the SG 3.4-132 onshore turbine components that will be installed at the project despite the challenges faced by COVID-19. Today, thanks to great determination and teamwork, we are able to celebrate the installation of the country’s first ever wind turbine.
While Djibouti is currently experiencing good economic momentum, there remains a huge gap when it comes to access to power. Approximately 110,000 households in Djibouti are currently living without electricity. As an active player in the energy revolution, Siemens Gamesa aims to help the country’s transition towards 100 percent renewable energy-based electricity production and reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030. By doing this, we will play our part in the country’s economic prosperity and deliver local value within the community by creating jobs, ensuring skills development within the company and contributing to a cleaner, more reliable and more affordable energy in Africa. At Siemens Gamesa, we are motivated by trust, the trust we put in the hands of our people and in the faith in a better, greener future in the communities where we operate.
Djibouti boasts great potential to develop solar, geothermal and wind energy

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