# 11.2 km of 33 kV lines came with the Berbera plant

> Ecofin Agency reported on 19 February 2026 that GSU's Berbera solar project includes 11.2 km of 33 kV lines and associated substations.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 20 September 2026
- Format: Project story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Engineering and Methods
- Place: Berbera, Somaliland
- Tags: somaliland, berbera, electricity, transmission, ongoing-projects
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/11-2-km-of-33-kv-lines-came

## Key points

- Global South Utilities announced on 17 February 2026 that it commissioned a 5 MWp grid-connected solar plant in Berbera under the Green Berbera Vision programme.
- The same project includes 11.2 km of 33 kV transmission lines and associated substations, according to Ecofin Agency's report of 19 February 2026.
- The source describes the programme's aim of reducing diesel dependence with battery storage but gives no grid integration or tariff details.

Ecofin Agency reported on 19 February 2026 that Global South Utilities commissioned a 5 MWp grid-connected solar plant in Berbera, and that the project also includes 11.2 kilometres of 33 kV transmission lines and associated substations. The developer announced the inauguration on 17 February 2026. The work sits under the Green Berbera Vision programme.

## What the source records

The report states the plant has a capacity of 5 megawatt-peak and forms part of a programme that aims to reduce diesel dependence and increase renewable generation supported by battery storage systems. The same project includes 11.2 kilometres of 33 kV transmission lines and associated substations, according to [Ecofin Agency](https://www.ecofinagency.com/news-industry/1902-53055-gsu-commissions-5-mwp-solar-plant-in-somaliland-s-berbera). The report attributes to GSU an estimate of about 10,000 MWh a year, matching nearly 28,000 households, and about 6,890 tonnes of CO2 avoided annually.

## What it means on site

A 33 kV line is medium-voltage distribution and transmission work, so the civil side is poles or structures, foundations, conductor stringing and the substations at each end. For anyone building near the route, that means earthing, clearances and access can matter as much as the panels. Line and substation drawings, the route survey and the earthing design are the documents that show what was actually built. Where the source stops, treat output and offset figures as the developer's own estimates.

> **Note:** The source does not give the route of the 11.2 km, the substation locations or the battery capacity.

## What the source does not establish

Ecofin Agency reports a developer announcement, dated 19 February 2026. The 5 MWp, the 11.2 kilometres of 33 kV lines and the substations are reported scope, not an independent inspection. The report gives no grid integration study, no connection agreement and no tariff effect, so none of those can be assumed. It also does not say how much diesel generation the line displaces. Nothing here should be read as the present condition of Berbera's grid. A commissioning certificate, as-built drawings or a utility connection record would confirm the present state.

## What to do next

Ask the Ministry of Energy and Minerals office in Hargeisa, or the Berbera municipal engineer's office, for the as-built route drawing, substation single-line diagram and commissioning certificate for the 33 kV works, and check what your own contract allows before relying on the developer's figures.

## Questions

### How long are the transmission lines in the Berbera solar project?

Ecofin Agency reported on 19 February 2026 that the project includes 11.2 kilometres of 33 kV transmission lines and associated substations. The report does not give the route or substation locations.

### Does the Berbera plant replace diesel generation?

The source describes the Green Berbera Vision programme as aiming to reduce diesel dependence and increase renewable generation supported by battery storage. It gives no figure for how much diesel generation is displaced.

## Sources

- [GSU 5 MWp solar plant commissioned in Berbera](https://www.ecofinagency.com/news-industry/1902-53055-gsu-commissions-5-mwp-solar-plant-in-somaliland-s-berbera) — Ecofin Agency, 2026-02-19 (Attributed reporting of a developer announcement; report paragraphs on the plant, lines and output.)