In brief
- Somaliland's Ministry of Energy and Minerals invited bids by 5 May 2025 for a 12 MWp solar plant with 36 MWh of battery storage and a 13.5 km 33 kV line for BEC in Berbera.
- The tender is financed through the World Bank-backed Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project, with the contract set at 15 months from its effective date.
- A pre-bid conference is set for 5 April 2025, and the employer organised no site visits, so bidders were encouraged to visit on their own.
Contents
ESI Africa reported on 7 March 2025 that Somaliland's Ministry of Energy and Minerals had issued a tender for a 12 MWp solar PV plant in Berbera, with 36 MWh of battery energy storage and a 13.5 km 33 kV evacuation line for BEC.
The scope covers supply, installation, testing and commissioning. The deadline is 5 May 2025 at 9.30am Hargeisa time, and the contract runs 15 months from its effective date.
What the source records
ESI Africa reported the tender scope as 12 MWp of solar PV, 36 MWh of battery storage and 13.5 km of 33 kV evacuation line for BEC in Berbera. According to the same item, a pre-bid conference takes place physically on 5 April 2025 at 9.30am Hargeisa time, the bid deadline is 5 May 2025 at 9.30am, the contract duration is 15 months from the effective date, and bids are paid through the World Bank's Direct Payment method under the Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project.
What it means on site
The employer organised no site visits but encouraged bidders to visit on their own, so a bidder needs its own record of ground conditions, access, laydown space and the route of the 33 kV line. For a plant of this size, the general practice is to price earthing, foundations for tracker or fixed structures, and battery room ventilation from the specification rather than from assumption. Confirm the site's soil and water conditions through your own checks and, where the design depends on them, ask the engineer for the parameters to be used.
What the source does not establish
The item is a tender invitation, not an award. It does not name a winning bidder, a price, a financing figure or a start date, and the outcome is not in the source. The scope, capacity and line length are figures as tendered, not installed capacity; a 12 MWp array nameplate is not a guaranteed output. Nothing about ground conditions, land status or present works on the site is established by the notice.
What to do next
Request the full bidding document in English from the Project Implementation Unit office on Mujahid Lixle Rd, 26 June District, Hargeisa, or by email as listed in the notice, and confirm the pre-bid conference arrangements with that same office.
Frequently asked questions
When is the deadline for the Berbera solar tender?
ESI Africa reported 5 May 2025 at 9.30am Hargeisa time, with a physical pre-bid conference on 5 April 2025 at 9.30am.
Who pays for the contract?
The source says the Government of Somaliland received World Bank financing toward the Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds to this contract, using Direct Payment disbursement.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Berbera and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.