Humanitarian Energy PLC (HumEn) Acquires Ethiopia’s First Commercial Mini-grid License to Serve Refugee and Host Communities in Sheder, Somali Regional State
The Ethiopia Petroleum and Energy Authority (PEA) has granted the country’s first commercial mini-grid license under its new mini-grid directive to Humanitarian Energy PLC (HumEn), an Ethiopian private limited company founded by Mercy Corps, Rensys Engineering and Trading PLC to provide sustainable energy as a service to refugee and host communities, as well as humanitarian agencies and operations in Ethiopia. The license will allow HumEn to deploy and commercially operate a 253 kWp solar PV mini-grid to service the refugee and host communities of Sheder town in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State.
The solar PV mini-grid license has unlocked the possibility for refugees and host communities to access reliable, continuous, affordable, and sustainable electricity services. This marks a key milestone for Ethiopia’s mini-grid and humanitarian sectors, which will continue to support Ethiopia’s National Electrification Plan 2.0 as well as the country efforts towards the increasing integration of displaced people in its social fabric.
“This license is a significant milestone toward delivering sustainable energy-as-a-service to refugee and host communities, humanitarian agencies and activities in Ethiopia. It underpins our Enter Energy Ethiopia program which aims to create a replicable, market-based model to provide clean energy services in humanitarian settings,” said Cecilia Ragazzi, Mercy Corps’ Director of Energy Access.
Ethiopia is home to an estimated 4.7 million forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), yet only 7% of these people have access to energy. We believe that the need to support communities in achieving better access to cleaner, more affordable and sustainable energy sources has never been more urgent than it is now. HumEn is committed to finding new ideas and ways to work together to provide clean, long-lasting energy services in the Somali region of Ethiopia and across the country.