In brief
- ESI Africa reported on 15 January 2025 that Somalia's Ministry of Energy and Water Resources invited bids for a 10 MWp solar plant, 20 MWh of battery storage and a 9 km 33 kV evacuation line in Garowe for NECSOM.
- The invitation sets a minimum solar capacity of 10 MWp and 20 MWh of consumable energy within 290 hectares of Garowe, with a delivery period of 15 to 18 months from the effective date.
- The notice is an invitation to bid financed through the Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project, not a record of an award or completed construction.
Contents
ESI Africa reported on 15 January 2025 that the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Somalia issued a tender for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 10 MWp solar PV plant with a 20 MWh battery energy storage system for the National Energy Corporation of Somalia in Garowe, Puntland. The same notice covers a 9 km 33 kV evacuation line, and bids close on 10 February 2025.
What the source records
According to ESI Africa, the required solar capacity is a minimum of 10 MWp, with battery storage of 20 MWh of consumable energy, minimum, sited in the 290 hectares of Garowe. The notice gives a delivery period of 15 to 18 months from the effective date and a virtual pre-bid conference on 23 January 2025 at 10:30am Mogadishu time. Bidding documents are free from the ministry's project website or on written application to the Project Implementation Unit office on Airport Road, Mogadishu.
What it means on site
A 10 MWp array means a large footprint of tables, foundations, trenches and inverter stations, plus a 20 MWh battery room or container yard and a 9 km line out to the point of connection. The notice sets capacity floors, not equipment choices, so the mounting type, foundation depth and corrosion protection stay open. For a hot, dusty inland site, general practice points to checking module cleaning water, inverter derating and battery cooling against the specification, and asking the ministry whether it holds the geotechnical and interconnection studies for the plot before pricing civils.
What the source does not establish
A tender invitation is not an award, a signed contract or a built plant. The source records the scope, minimum capacities, site area, delivery period and deadline as advertised on 15 January 2025; it does not name a winning bidder, a contract sum or a start date, and it says nothing about the state of the works now. Only the award notice, the signed contract or the ministry's implementation reports would confirm what has been agreed or built.
What to do next
Ask the Project Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources for the tender documents, the pre-bid minutes of 23 January 2025 and any award notice issued since. Suppliers can register on the project website at sesrp.moewr.gov.so to receive clarifications.
Frequently asked questions
When do bids close for the NECSOM solar tender in Garowe?
ESI Africa reported a deadline of 10 February 2025, with a virtual pre-bid conference on 23 January 2025 at 10:30am Mogadishu time. The notice does not name a winning bidder or a construction start date.
Who finances the Garowe solar and storage tender?
ESI Africa reported that the Federal Government of Somalia received World Bank financing toward the Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds to this contract.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Garowe and Puntland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.