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Yemen’s largest solar plant set to double to 240 MW

Yemen is expanding its largest solar power plant in Aden from 120 MW to 240 MW with UAE funding, while plans for a separate 50 MW project in Hadhramaut are also advancing. The projects form part of a growing pipeline of utility-scale solar developments across the country.
Emiliano Bellini
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Emiliano Bellini
Image: Ministry of Electricity

Yemen’s Minister of Electricity and Energy has announced that the country’s largest PV power plant, located in the interim capital of Aden, will be expanded with funding from the United Arab Emirates.

The agreement will add 120 MW of generation capacity to the existing 120 MW plant. It was signed by Yemen’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Adnan Al-Kaf, and Ali Al Shammari, head of strategic and special projects at UAE-based renewable energy developer Masdar.

“Work on the expansion project has already begun on the ground, facilitated by the infrastructure and facilities put in place during the completion of the project’s first phase,” Al-Kaf said.

He said the second phase is expected to take approximately eight months to complete. “The additional electricity will be brought online gradually, as the transmission and distribution lines are already in place,” he said, adding that the existing power transmission infrastructure can accommodate up to 650 MW.

Masdar also built the existing 120 MW solar plant, with development starting in 2022. The expansion will bring the facility’s total installed capacity to 240 MW.

In a separate development, the government said Al-Kaf met with representatives of Maico Yemen and technical advisers to discuss plans for a 50 MW solar power plant on the Al-Qatan Plateau in Hadhramaut Governorate.

The meeting reviewed an investment proposal from Chinese electrical equipment provider Henan Longxiang, including financing and implementation mechanisms and potential partnership structures such as build-operate-transfer (BOT) and build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) models.

The ministry said the parties agreed to continue technical discussions on the project, including the potential establishment of a joint technical committee to assess its technical and economic aspects and determine the next steps toward implementation. No further details were disclosed.

Both projects are located in southern and eastern Yemen, in areas under the internationally recognized government.

Yemen currently has several PV projects under development. Chinese manufacturer TrinaSolar is partnering with local solar developer Al-Reabi on a 1.5 GW project pipeline.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Yemen had 456 MW of operational PV capacity at the end of 2025.

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