Djibouti has inaugurated the country’s first onshore wind farm. The project located near Ghoubet Bay, was developed under a public-private partnership, with the special purpose company Red Sea Power (RSP) leading the efforts at an investment of US $122M.
RSP is owned by a consortium of investors, including Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Netherlands Development Finance Corporation (FMO), Climate Fund Managers (CFM), and Great Horn Investment Holding (GHIH).
Ghoubet wind farm
The Ghoubet wind farm has a total capacity of 60 MW. It is equipped with 17 Siemens Gamesa SG 3.4-132 wind turbines, covering an area of 395 hectares near Ghoubet Bay in the Arta region. This wind farm is the first large-scale facility to produce clean electricity in Djibouti. It represents a significant step towards reducing the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels for energy generation.
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The Ghoubet wind farm is expected to have a positive environmental impact by preventing the emission of approximately 252,500 tonnes of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to the emissions from 55,000 buses. There are also plans to expand the wind farm’s capacity by an additional 45 MW in the coming years. This expansion will further contribute to Djibouti’s energy self-sufficiency and renewable energy goals.
The country aims to rely exclusively on renewable energy sources by 2035. At present, it has an installed capacity of 126 MW generated entirely from fossil fuels, of which less than half is operational, according to Power Africa. The country imports some of its electricity (95 MW) from neighbouring Ethiopia.