Provision of clean and safe energy

The refugee and host communities are sourcing their firewood from the natural vegetation where
the impact on environment is devastating. Hence, introducing eco-friendly household energy
sources was found to be important both for the environmental protection and the safety of
refugees.

Solar Mini- grids
  • Solar mini-grids installed in 5 camps (Melkadida 22.5KVA, Bokolomayo 36KVA,Buramino 27KVA and Helewoyin 22.5KVA), Kobe with 18KVA
  • 5 cooperatives established in all camps with a total 61 members from refugee and host communities (Buramono 12, Helewoyin 11, Kobe 12, Melkadida 11 and Bokolomayo 15 members).
  • Beneficiaries were selected from the refugee and host communities, trained in technical management and maintenance of solar system and business management
  • Cooperatives are legally registered, sell solar energy from mini-grids to the refugees and host communities at affordable price, save 60% of the income for running the project and use the remaining as an income 
  • 1200 households get energy from the solar grids 

Picture 1. Solar mini-grid panels in the refugee camp

Solar Street lights  
  • Solar street lights were installed for better protection and security of refugee/host communities across the five camps and institutions  
  • The lights are managed and maintained jointly by the community with technical assistance from SEE  
  • Solar lights also installed for institutions  
Solar Energy for irrigation  
  • The objective of the project is to replace the diesel engines of the existing irrigation schemes by solar powered pumping system  
  •  the existing irrigation canals and different facilities of the irrigation schemes will not be changed 
  • Construction of physical structures (pump houses and retaining wall) is completed while contract is awarded for the supply and installation of electromechanical component.  
  •  irrigate 40 hectare of land.

Picture 2. Pumping house for solar irrigation project in Melkadida

Vocational skill training on Solar Technology 
  • 91 refuges and host community youths were trained for three months and graduated on solar technology. 
  • Host community trainees (2 from each camp, three from Dolo-Ado district and one more from Bokolmayo district)  
  • Organized in to groups and gain income from installation of solar systems for institutions, refugees and host communities  
  • In 2021 additional 50 youths will be trained  
Cook stove production  
  • Fuel wood saving cook stoves contribute to the protection of the natural vegetation by reducing the amount of fuel wood used by each locally produced cook stove. Charcoal briquette stove has 35% efficiency and Upesi has 30% efficiency. 
  • refugees/host communities trained for local production of cook stoves designed based on the cultural cooking needs  of the community in Melkadida, cooperative established  
  • Produced 880 cook stoves until 2020, 1000 cook stoves in 2021, 2000 in 2022 

Picture 3. Cook stove production centre

Charcoal briquette production from Prosophis julifera 
  • P.julifera is an exotic invasive tree species taking over large areas of land previously used for grazing and browsing.  
  • Use of the plant species for charcoals briquette is also an opportunity since there is huge demand for cooking energy.  
  • P. juliflora produces good quality fuel and charcoal of high quality calorific value estimated at 4216-4800 kcal/kg 
  • Cooperatives established in five camps to produce charcoal briquette from the plant 
Biogas  
  • A 10m3 biogas digester was constructed at the end of 2020 to use waste from slaughtering house of Melkadida for biogas production  
  • A linkage between the slaughtering house management cooperative and biogas cooperative was created for coordinated use of the energy produced  

Picture 5. Biogas used for cooking from slaughtering house