Comoros switches on 20 MW of solar across three islands

Three islands now carry new operating solar capacity. On Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli, projects implemented by Masdar total 20 MW. The switch-on gives Comoros new generation assets on three islands.

The sites are paired with supporting infrastructure. Grande Comore hosts a 12.86 MW array, while Anjouan has 4.05 MW and Mohéli 3.1 MW. The project works also deployed two battery storage systems with a combined capacity of 8 MW/16 MWh on Grande Comore and Anjouan, alongside approximately 30 kilometres of 20 kV transmission lines.

Masdar says the three plants are expected to generate approximately 33.75 GWh of electricity, equivalent to the needs of around 17,500 households. Their expected annual solar generation represents approximately 13.3% of total electricity demand and 22.5% of actual generation in Comoros. The Africa Solar Industry Association lists an additional 46.9 MW of operational solar in the country.

The stakes are clear in the electricity system the projects enter. Comoros has faced around 3,000 power outages during the year, while imported diesel accounted for 91% of its energy mix in 2024. The projects were financed with approximately AED 84.4 million ($22.9 million) from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. UAE Ambassador Jumaa Rashid Alromaithi said the combination of renewable generation and storage could strengthen energy resilience.

Concretely, Comoros now has operating solar projects on three islands, battery storage on two of them and new transmission lines to support the system. Masdar's estimate translates that hardware into electricity equivalent to the needs of around 17,500 households. The inauguration does not show that outages are over, and it does not mean diesel has disappeared from the mix; the country remains heavily reliant on it. But the projects put more solar generation and storage into operation in a system where both reliability and fuel dependence are pressing problems.