Yemen, a nation near the southernmost point of the Arabian Peninsula, is presently experiencing a serious energy problem. The country is in desperate need of dependable and sustainable energy solutions because its conventional energy supplies are running low and years of violence have destroyed most of its infrastructure.
In this difficult situation, Yemen’s energy market’s unrealized wind power potential appears to be a ray of hope.
Yemen is fortunate to be in a place where strong winds frequently blow, particularly along its coast. Yemen has a wind power potential of about 40 gigawatts (GW), which is sufficient to power the entire nation and still have extra energy left over for export, according to World Bank research.
Nevertheless, Yemen’s enormous potential is still mostly unrealized, since wind energy still makes up very little of the country’s energy mix.
There are numerous causes for this underutilization. First off, almost 90% of Yemen’s energy production comes from fossil fuels, namely gas and oil. This has made the country’s energy industry highly dependent on these resources. The development of infrastructure for renewable energy has been hampered by this over-reliance on non-renewable resources.
Second, the situation has been made worse by the ongoing conflict, which has seriously damaged the energy infrastructure and prevented fresh investments in the field.
However, things appear to be shifting. The potential of wind power in Yemen’s energy industry is becoming more widely acknowledged by the international community.
To fully realize this potential, international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank are offering financial and technical support.
To help with the nation’s energy issue, they are collaborating with the Yemeni government and local communities to create wind power projects.
Furthermore, it’s becoming apparent how beneficial wind power is economically. An affordable and sustainable energy source is wind power. In contrast to fossil fuels, it doesn’t deplete natural resources or contribute to environmental contamination, and once the infrastructure is in place, it requires very little operating costs.
As a result, by generating jobs and drawing in foreign investment, wind power investments can help Yemen’s economy meet its energy demands.
Additionally, the population of Yemen can benefit from improved living circumstances thanks to wind power. More than half of Yemen’s population does not currently have access to dependable energy.
The lack of energy makes the provision of essential services like healthcare and education, which also affect economic activity, difficult. Wind power can produce an electricity supply that is both sustainable and dependable, which can significantly improve Yemen’s quality of life.
Saudi Support
According to the state news agency SPA, Saudi groups have started several solar-powered housing projects that will help thousands of Yemeni citizens.
Solar energy has been used to power 133 home lighting systems and 20 public utilities in the governorates of Hadhramaut, Taiz, and Hodeidah as part of a project run by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), and the Sela Foundation for Development.
The project supports the operation of medical equipment, generates conditions that are favourable to learning, and meets the electrical needs of healthcare and educational establishments.
More than 62,000 Yemenis will benefit from it, as well as the restoration of 12 drinking water wells, the installation of 35 solar-powered agricultural irrigation systems, the energy supply of 20 educational and medical facilities, and the introduction of renewable energy to 133 homes spread across five governorates in Yemen.
To address problems like water scarcity, the plan also includes training engineers in operating solar energy systems.
Things Moving In Right Direction
In October 2023, the Yemen government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a series of tenders for the supply, installation, and commissioning of four different solar project categories in the nation.
The projects have been divided into four streams, off-grid solar PV systems ranging from 0.5 KW (Kilowatt Hour) to 45 KW, an “All in Two” solar street lighting project that includes lanterns and torches, solar power water pumping systems and on-ground PV systems with installed capacities ranging from 20 KW to 300 KW.
Take the solar street lighting system for example. It necessitates an “LED luminary (LED, MPPT, and a battery of a specified capacity,” along with mono-crystalline or polycrystalline PV modules distributed on top of the lighting pole, stated the project blueprint. The tender document also talked about the requirement of “module mounting structures and brackets”, which would support the load operation from dusk till dawn.
Similarly, for the solar power water pumping system, a module capacity of at least 540 watts is mandatory, which will be generated through the mono-crystalline/polycrystalline half-cell and n-type PV Panels (Photovoltaic Panels). The module voltage should not be less than 1,000 VDC.
All the projects outlined by the Yemen government and UNDP must be completed within 120 days from signing.