In brief
- Somaliland's Ministry of Energy and Minerals issued a tender on 7 March 2025 for a 12MWp solar PV plant with 36MWh of battery storage and a 13.5km 33kV evacuation line for BEC at Berbera, financed through the World Bank's Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project.
- The tender notice states a contract duration of 15 months from the effective date, a bid deadline of 5 May 2025, and payment by the World Bank's Direct Payment disbursement method.
- This was an invitation to bid, not an award; the source does not record which bidder won, at what price, or whether construction has started.
Contents
ESI Africa reported on 7 March 2025 that Somaliland's Ministry of Energy and Minerals had issued a tender for a solar plant at Berbera, and that the Government of Somaliland received World Bank financing toward the cost of the Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project.
What the source records
The scope covers the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 12MWp solar PV power plant with 36MWh of battery energy storage, plus 13.5km of 33kV evacuation line for BEC, according to ESI Africa. ESI Africa states the bid deadline as 5 May 2025 at 9.30am Hargeisa local time, and a pre-bid conference in Hargeisa on 5 April 2025 at 9.30am. The notice says the contract duration will be 15 months from the effective date, and that the Borrower will process payments using the Direct Payment disbursement method, as defined in the World Bank's Disbursement Guidelines for Investment Project Financing, except where the contract provides for a letter of credit. Bidding documents are free from the Government of Somaliland website or by written application to the Project Implementation Unit office in Hargeisa.
What it means on site
For contractors and suppliers, the package pairs generation with storage and a grid connection, so a bid team needs civil, structural, electrical and battery experience in one scope. No site visits were organised by the employer, but bidders were encouraged to visit and familiarise themselves with the works, so a bidder may want to check access, ground conditions and the evacuation line route before pricing. Confirm the interface point with BEC, the battery enclosure and cooling arrangement, and the corrosion protection for coastal air against the specification and the employer's answers.
What the source does not establish
The notice is an invitation to bid, not an award. It does not record who won, the contract price, any bidder list, or whether works began by the deadline. The source gives 15 months as the contract duration in the tender, not as an achieved programme. The disbursement method is stated as a payment route, not as a statement about any firm's entitlement. Records that would show the present state include the contract award notice and the signed contract, both obtainable from the Project Implementation Unit office named in the notice.
What to do next
Request the bidding document and any addenda from the Project Implementation Unit office at Mujahid Lixle Rd, Hargeisa, and ask it in writing for the award notice and contract signing date. Confirm whether BEC has issued the evacuation line interface details.
Frequently asked questions
Has the Berbera 12MWp solar contract been awarded?
The source is a tender notice dated 7 March 2025, so the award outcome is not recorded. The contract award notice and signed contract from the Project Implementation Unit would confirm the position.
How long is the contract?
ESI Africa states the duration will be 15 months from the effective date of the contract. The effective date itself is not given in the notice.
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.