In brief
- Somaliland Sun reported on 2015-11-30 that Energy Minister Eng Hussein Abdi Duale said investors from Italy's Veneto region were pursuing wind power investment in Somaliland.
- No named investor, project size, site or investment value was disclosed, and no subsequent development has been established.
- The minister claimed a single windmill near Venice generates around 8 megawatts, enough for all of Hargeisa, but the figure remains unverified.
Somaliland Sun reported on 30 November 2015 that investors from the Italian region of Veneto were pursuing investment in Somaliland's renewable energy sector, according to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eng Hussein Abdi Duale, at a press briefing in Hargeisa.
Duale had returned from an official working visit to the United Kingdom and Italy, invited, the publication said, by the Italian Investment Fund. The minister said his five-day Italy itinerary included meetings with government officials and international agencies. In Milan, he was hosted by Opes Impact Fund and Etimos Foundation, where talks centered on a wind power project by a consortium of Italian investors, Somaliland Sun reported. In Venice, the regional government of Veneto hosted him, and he inspected wind power facilities.
The minister stated that a single windmill in the outskirts of Venice generates around 8 megawatts of electricity, sufficient to service the whole of Hargeisa. Somaliland Sun attributed the figure to Duale; SCR has not independently verified it. The publication also reported that Duale said important agreements pertaining to Italian investment and bilateral relations with Somaliland had been successfully completed, but no agreement was named.
Duale added that Italian investors, after assessments and his briefing, were satisfied with wind velocity in Somaliland, coupled with peace and security despite non-recognition status. The report does not identify any Italian company or investor, nor does it give a project location, capacity, timeline or investment value. No subsequent construction, contract award, or financial close has been established in the available record.
Somaliland Sun remains the sole source for these claims, and SCR has not independently verified them.
Frequently asked questions
Which Italian companies are interested?
The 2015 Somaliland Sun report does not name any Italian company or investor.
What is the proposed capacity?
No project capacity was stated; the minister only cited a Venice windmill's output of around 8 megawatts.
What is the investment size?
No investment value or financial terms were disclosed.
Sources
Photo: European Space Agency, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo, via Wikimedia Commons
