Berbera (SLpost) — Berbera’s experience with solar power, battery storage and hybrid grid technology demonstrates how renewable energy can be integrated into Somaliland’s electricity networks while reducing reliance on diesel generation.
In 2021, the Berbera Electricity Company (BEC) integrated two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 8 megawatts (MW) into the city’s electricity grid, alongside a 2-megawatt-hour (MWh) lithium-ion battery storage system and three modern diesel generators.
The system was developed using technology from German microgrid specialist DHYBRID, which provided its Universal Power Platform (UPP) to coordinate the different sources of electricity and manage the citywide grid.
The project enabled BEC to increase the use of solar power while maintaining diesel generation as part of the hybrid system. At the time, the company said the investment had helped reduce electricity tariffs in Berbera, making them among the lowest in Somaliland.
Solar Power Integrated With Diesel Generation
Somaliland’s electricity sector has traditionally depended heavily on isolated grids powered by diesel generators. The model has contributed to some of the highest electricity costs in the region, while rapidly expanding urban infrastructure continues to increase demand for power.
Berbera has experienced particularly strong growth because of the expansion of its port and related infrastructure. The city’s airport and other major facilities also depend on BEC’s electricity network.
The expansion of solar generation has therefore provided an opportunity to reduce the amount of diesel required to meet electricity demand.
However, integrating large amounts of renewable energy into an existing grid presents technical challenges because solar generation varies according to available sunlight.
“Various generators within the grid must be continuously coordinated, especially when renewable energies are involved,” said Benedikt Böhm of DHYBRID.
He said effective grid management was necessary to maintain stable frequency and voltage and to make full use of available renewable generation.
Battery Storage Strengthens Grid Stability
BEC’s hybrid system combines solar generation, battery storage and conventional diesel generators under a centralized control system.
The lithium-ion battery can operate alongside the electricity grid or as an integrated component of the system. Combined with DHYBRID’s UPP technology, it helps balance fluctuations in electricity supply and demand.
According to DHYBRID, the project increased Berbera’s overall grid power factor by 20 percent, improving the network’s load-bearing capacity and the efficiency of electricity generation and distribution.
The battery system also became one of the largest energy-storage installations in Somaliland at the time of its commissioning.
Technology Supports Growing Energy Demand
The project was implemented as electricity demand in Berbera was increasing alongside major infrastructure and economic developments around the port city.
BEC CEO Ibrahim Yaqub said the company needed an energy system that could be scaled and centrally monitored while improving the quality and reliability of electricity supplied to customers.
“The requirement was clear: Berbera needed a scalable energy supply that could be monitored and managed centrally,” Yaqub said.
The system also uses a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) platform, allowing operators to monitor and manage technical aspects of the electricity network.
DHYBRID said the Berbera project was among the early deployments of its patented Maximum Inverter Power Tracking (MIPT) technology, designed to increase the proportion of solar energy that can be integrated into microgrids.
Berbera’s Experience and Somaliland’s Energy Challenge
The Berbera project illustrates the potential for combining renewable energy with battery storage and conventional generation in markets where electricity grids remain largely decentralized.
For Somaliland, where high electricity prices remain a major economic challenge, expanding solar generation could help reduce dependence on imported diesel fuel while improving the efficiency and resilience of electricity networks.
However, the success of such systems depends not only on installing additional solar capacity but also on investment in **battery storage, grid management, transmission infrastructure and modern control systems**.
Berbera’s hybrid grid therefore provides an example of how renewable energy can be integrated into an existing diesel-based electricity network rather than simply replacing conventional generators.
While the project dates back to 2021, its underlying approach remains relevant to Somaliland’s continuing debate over electricity prices, renewable energy investment and the long-term cost of power.
