The Perfect Power Grid and the Future of Clean Energy ?

[Idilinaa]

As for disconnection fees or dirty tricks , those were probably issues nearly a decade ago, when regulation was weaker and grids were still transitioning.

Lastly, the video you’re citing is from 9 years ago, showing a single provider before BECO and others entered to install solar power and updated the networks. If you look at more recent evidence, you’ll see the picture is very different.

The same provider Mogadishu Power Supply that is featured in that old video not only modernized their systems, technological equipment but also now utilize Solar Energy:
View attachment 370856

They have also updated their terms of services:
View attachment 370857

Here’s a video from 5 years ago where they explain how they are now saving money and providing cheaper electricity:

Another video that explains this transition as well:

At 1:10 a representative from BECO explains how they reformed the entire power system in Mogadishu more than a decade back, before that everything used to be low voltage, now they have 11Kv systems, 33Kv systems and subs stations just like any other city in the world.

At the @2:21 they explain how the cost burden has been lifted from many consumers , they now have access to cheaper, more reliable energy, the electricity is always on and they interviewed a business owner who said they now pay less than 20 cent for a more powerful supply: And another explains that they now can run all their machines much easier

 

[Barkhadle1520]

Somalis as a society are not inherently qabilist or tribalist. If that were true, we wouldn’t see such a sophisticated and efficient internet sector, a vibrant private sector driven economy, and a functioning financial system because they would require us to trust and cooperate with one another beyond our clan.

Fukuyama, in his book “Trust: Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity,” argued that the key to prosperity lies in a society’s ability to organize effectively for commercial purposes without relying on blood ties or government intervention.

This pretty much typifies how Somali society operates .

Trust: The driving force behind many Somali traders’ success

The phenomenal growth of Somali businesses in Kenya’s commercial towns and urban centres is an envy to any would-be entrepreneur or business person.

www.standardmedia.co.ke

View attachment 370861

Fukuyama also explains that a low-trust society is essentially a tribal society.
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I realized when I looked at how other societies were organized, some were high trust like the Japanese, Germans, and Americans, while others were low-trust and actively required a centralized state to intervene, like in China, and Taiwan’s case. Otherwise, communities in those contexts wouldn’t be able to cooperate with each other at all. Many other African communities are also essentially tribal in nature and don’t trust anyone outside their family or tribal grouping, and without a strong government, cooperation breaks down. Most Africans neither trust eachother or their institutions.

Somalia’s problem isn’t a lack of trust, but rather an imbalance. We have high horizontal trust (between people, communities/clans/regions, and businesses) but low vertical trust (between people and political institutions).

If Somalis developed the same level of institutional trust that they already have at the social and business level, the country’s potential would take off like crazy. In our case, trust in political institutions really hinges on inclusion, transparency, and legitimacy, the greater these are, the higher the trust will be. Thats why i am really big on civic reform and strengthening local governance.


That’s not really accurate. Mobile internet is strong in Somalia, yes, but Wi-Fi isn’t “useless.” In fact, Wi-Fi is powered by the same 4G/5G backbone and fiber-optic infrastructure that telecoms like Hormuud, Somtel, and others have been rolling out. Many businesses, schools, offices, and homes use Wi-Fi connections for stability, especially where multiple devices are running.

It’s also worth noting that Somalia wasn’t just “nominated” it consistently ranks among the top countries in Africa for mobile internet speed and affordability, largely because of private sector investment and cable connectivity. People choosing to hotspot from their phones isn’t because Wi-Fi is “shit,” but because mobile bundles are cheap, reliable, and convenient.

Also, I have to remind y’all that Somalia didn’t start with mobile internet at all. Back in the early 2000s, after the first ISP was established in 1999, the country rapidly adopted Wi-Fi and other internet services at faster and cheaper rates compared to many places in Africa. By then, much of the country already had active internet usage with wireless internet, internet cafés everywhere, dial-up services, ADSL broadband and even satellite connections.
Even early GPRS mobile data was introduced before smartphones became common.

Somalia’s civil war hides steady growth of Internet Services

Despite continuing unrest, Somalia has taken the first tentative steps towards establishing a national government and AU peacekeepers have begun to arrive.

www.hiiraan.com

It actually surprised international observers at the time. So what we’re seeing today isn’t some brand new development brought/pioneered by only Dahabshil or Hormuud , it’s the continuation of a long trend where Somalia has been ahead of the curve in internet adoption.

Wifi is still shit, every stat i see online confirms this as well

List of countries by Internet connection speeds - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Barkhadle1520]

That’s not an accurate assessment of how Somalia’s electricity system works today. Mini decentralized grids are not “a disaster” they’re actually the reason Somalia has been able to achieve rapid electrification in both urban and rural areas, without suffering the kind of constant nationwide blackouts you see in Kenya and Ethiopia..

The idea that providers are just relying on “old diesel generators” is outdated. Since 2016, Somali banks and private companies have been aggressively investing in solar-hybrid systems, pairing renewables with battery storage and backup diesel to ensure 24/7 reliability. Providers like BECO, SomPower, and others have modernized their networks and continue to expand hybrid solar infrastructure


Decentralized microgrids are not about having “hundreds of tiny monopolies” they are competitive. In most cities like Mogadishu for example, the market over the years have expanded to include multiple providers operate (BECO, Mogadishu Power Supply, Tamarso, Blue Sky, Ileys, Kube Energy etc) which keeps prices down, pushes innovation, and forces companies to improve service quality.

Bosaso is the exception precisely because a merger reduced competition there, which proves the point: competition between many microgrid providers is healthier than a few centralized giants:



Centralized grids, like in Kenya or Ethiopia, are far more vulnerable to systemic failures. One drought, one infrastructure fault, and entire regions lose power. Somalia doesn’t face those problems because its grids are decentralized and hybridized. This model is considered future ready by global energy experts , it’s scalable, flexible, and avoids the pitfalls of centralized national grids that are costly and debt driven.

As for disconnection fees or dirty tricks , those were probably issues nearly a decade ago, when regulation was weaker and grids were still transitioning.

Lastly, the video you’re citing is from 9 years ago, showing a single provider before BECO and others entered to install solar power and updated the networks. If you look at more recent evidence, you’ll see the picture is very different.

The same provider Mogadishu Power Supply that is featured in that old video not only modernized their systems, technological equipment but also now utilize Solar Energy:
View attachment 370856

They have also updated their terms of services:
View attachment 370857

Here’s a video from 5 years ago where they explain how they are now saving money and providing cheaper electricity:

I like the initiative but thats only in xamar rest of the country still has that problem

 

[OOScoe]

Solar needs more r&d - the tech is solid tho & the main positives being cost & ease of implementation.

Make the panels more rigid & refine the battery tech used for retention & it's a game changer.
Somalia has the sun - it just needs the tech at a much lower price point.

 

[Basra]

After looking into Nuclear and Solar energy for a bit, I have to say that these two renewable energy sources are the best things developing countries can invest in the future

But the one mistake people make about Solar is assuming it could power a whole country, which would be far from ideal considering the amount of solar panels you would have to maintain and consistently replace, not worth it and not reliable on the long run




I think countries as a whole, should be powered by the new Small Modular Nuclear Reactors being built everywhere, this is the most clean and efficient way to generate energy ever made, nothing can beat this + its not that expensive and developing countries can afford it (500m-1b$ price range) it also gets built way faster than old nuclear power plants

Here is a post where I discuss it, Somalia also has enough Uranium to run these small plants for centuries

The Oil deal isn't that bad

This looks like its based on the findings from 1983, that Almond Energy references an IAEA report that says Somalia could harbour up to 150.000 tons of Uranium Found what the study says I guess we would have to wait and see what their explorations show since these are mostly speculative...

www.somalispot.com

But this won't mean Solar will be abandoned, its just not efficient to power a whole country and its so unrealistic to think it could work

Instead, I think every home should have solar panels, bought from local companies and ideally manufactured at home on the long run, its not crazy to think it could be done and its easier than it looks if you got the capital and will to do it

The governments doing tax cuts on imports of these panels would to make it cheaper, but idk if they would allow it

My point is that every citizen could have access to practically free electricity, and the nuclear powered energy can be used by everything else on the grid like businesses, factories or hospitals instead

This is what a flawless grid looks like to me but idk if im being unrealistic, I think it can be achieved very easily now since nuclear energy is becoming more accesible and cheaper, as well as china making tons of cheap solar panels and Somalia having one of the best solar potential due to the sun and the heat

View attachment 370735

For comparison, this is Europe and many people still invest in Solar energy to power their homes, so imagine how efficient it would be in Somalia

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So far I only know of one company in Puntland and Xamar which sells them for rather high prices, even though prices worldwide have dropped significantly its probably due to somali governments taxing the hell out of imports cause its their only major source of domestic revenue

It looks like governments worldwide are finally realizing the potential of nuclear energy tho so its good the technology will evolve even more, the US refuses to invest in it due to their unrealistic solar projects but countries like China are taking full advantage of it




So basically what Im trying to say is :

Problem= Not enough electricity for industrialization, electricity is way too expensive, and the grid is going to reach its full capacity soon

Solutions :

- Nuclear power - Somalia has tons of Uranium and advancements in Nuclear energy made it more accesible for poor countries
- Solar energy - Homes are powered by Solar panels but still connected to the grid - Huge Solar potential in the country so it would be 100% profitable

This is something developing countries need to invest in asap but not every country has uranium deposits, Somalia is blessed with tons of Uranium so it would definitely work, they're working on it so they see the potential but Solar energy is not being used properly at all, in the long run it will be more inefficient to run these solar farms

If you're an electrician you can make millions by offering this solar energy alternative to households, and it would probably be very succesful considering how expensive the gas powered electricity is (most expensive in the horn and possibly africa)

The future looks kinda bright. I am sorry i will miss it. But its okey- am ready to go to heaven

 

[Barkhadle1520]

The future looks kinda bright. I am sorry i will miss it. But its okey- am ready to go to heaven

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[Barkhadle1520]

Solar needs more r&d - the tech is solid tho & the main positives being cost & ease of implementation.

Make the panels more rigid & refine the battery tech used for retention & it's a game changer.
Somalia has the sun - it just needs the tech at a much lower price point.

What we need is a law prohibiting import tax on solar panels, if they're afraid it can be used as a loophole then exempt only a certain company

Im pretty sure they put at least 20% additional taxes on electronics etc

 

[Idilinaa]

Wifi is still shit, every stat i see online confirms this as well

List of countries by Internet connection speeds - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Somalia has fast wifi and internet speed in general. This is from a piece in 2014 that talks about how 3G was shut down to avoid AS connection and followed up with fiber optic cable installation which gave them even faster connections

Somalia in high speed internet 'culture shock'

Some Somalis are experiencing a form of "culture shock" since fibre optic services launched in Mogadishu over the last week, an internet provider says.

www.bbc.com

People have been flocking to hotels and internet cafes to try out the fast service - some seeing video platforms like YouTube and social networking sites for the first time, our correspondent says.

Mr Egal said the difference in speed was like the difference between "day and night".

You can see people on internet cafe's computers and laptops explaining it. Mobile internet uses Wifi in general and are connected to the same fiber optic cable.

This is a segment from more than 10 years ago when Somalia launched 4G WIFI. You can see here they specifically mention how fast the internet speed on computers are and emphasize WIFI


Wikipedia and random figures online are not a good source on Somalia. A lot needs to be updated.

I like the initiative but thats only in xamar rest of the country still has that problem

BECO who installs the solar panels provides electricity to not only Mogadishu but also to Afgooye, Balad, Barawe, Kismayu, Marka, Jowhar and Elasha. So it might be the same for those others places.

In Hargeisa i know the prices has come down as well a few years back down to 30-50 cent
From a thread on Somaliforum
Telesom Electric Company reduces prices of electricity in Hargeisa by 20% down to 50 cents per KW


I am planning to hit up a few regional providers and ask consumers to get their insights later on to get an accurate map on the current state since there is no collectivized or regularly updated info online. So hard to know exactly how much people pay in each region or city. Other than BECO the other providers don't list how much they charge on their websites.

 

[Idilinaa]

In Hargeisa i know the prices has come down as well a few years back down to 30-50 cent
From a thread on Somaliforum
Telesom Electric Company reduces prices of electricity in Hargeisa by 20% down to 50 cents per KW

It sounds like Hargeisa pays between 0.73-0.50 per Kwh . Whilst Berbera pays between 0.49 - 0.30. What i can gather from consumers online and twitter, based on others i have asked.

The new president promised that he would lower the price in Berbera to 0.20

 

[Barkhadle1520]

Somalia has fast wifi and internet speed in general. This is from a piece in 2014 that talks about how 3G was shut down to avoid AS connection and followed up with fiber optic cable installation which gave them even faster connections

Somalia in high speed internet 'culture shock'

Some Somalis are experiencing a form of "culture shock" since fibre optic services launched in Mogadishu over the last week, an internet provider says.

www.bbc.com

You can see people on internet cafe's computers and laptops explaining it. Mobile internet uses Wifi in general and are connected to the same fiber optic cable.

This is a segment from more than 10 years ago when Somalia launched 4G WIFI. You can see here they specifically mention how fast the internet speed on computers are and emphasize WIFI


Wikipedia and random figures online are not a good source on Somalia. A lot needs to be updated.



BECO who installs the solar panels provides electricity to not only Mogadishu but also to Afgooye, Balad, Barawe, Kismayu, Marka, Jowhar and Elasha. So it might be the same for those others places.

In Hargeisa i know the prices has come down as well a few years back down to 30-50 cent
From a thread on Somaliforum
Telesom Electric Company reduces prices of electricity in Hargeisa by 20% down to 50 cents per KW


I am planning to hit up a few regional providers and ask consumers to get their insights later on to get an accurate map on the current state since there is no collectivized or regularly updated info online. So hard to know exactly how much people pay in each region or city. Other than BECO the other providers don't list how much they charge on their websites.

Bro 50cents per kwh is stil insanely high, its more than in the uk and in a third world country its even more crazy

I will maintain my stance on wifi cause i experienced it first hand and theres not any source checking the actual speed, Djibouti was the same its very slow but still less slow than hargeisa

Also I just remembered, my cousin would never use the wifi, him and my aunt would always go out to buy some more data, and when he needs to watch a movie or play games he would share with his pc or console, thats how bad the wifi was

High speed internet in 2014 is considered slow today btw

 

[Idilinaa]

Bro 50cents per kwh is stil insanely high, its more than in the uk and in a third world country its even more crazy

Yeah its pretty high can't imagine the cost burden it creates but the good news is that they are working to bring it down even further sooner than later . Electricity in many places including Hargeisa used to be 1.15 dollars per Kwh , so its gone down significantly already . They can definitely bring it down to 0.20-0.15 if Mogadishu and presume-ably other parts of south central Somalia are able to do it.

I will maintain my stance on wifi cause i experienced it first hand and theres not any source checking the actual speed, Djibouti is the same its very slow but still less slow than hargeisa

High speed internet in 2014 is considered slow today

They launched 5G internet more than a year ago in Somalia , they only installed the fiber optic cable in 2014. So it's very fast.

I haven't seen people complain about the speed or it being slow in Somalia and even from my own impression. It's pretty important since businesses depend on cheap fast, reliable internet as connectivity is what's driving economic growth.

 

[Barkhadle1520]

They launched 5G internet more than a year ago in Somalia , they only installed the fiber optic cable in 2014. So it's very fast.

I haven't seen people complain about the speed or it being slow in Somalia and even from my own impression. It's pretty important since businesses depend on cheap fast, reliable internet as connectivity is what driving economic growth.

It will probably get better before 2030, so Im not worried

 

[Basra]

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Mashalaaah may Allaah swt bless me and call me to umrah and hajj

 

[OOScoe]

What we need is a law prohibiting import tax on solar panels, if they're afraid it can be used as a loophole then exempt only a certain company

Im pretty sure they put at least 20% additional taxes on electronics etc

Sounds feasible to me.
Watch how quickly the country booms once cheap energy is easily accessible.
Critical infrastructure issues will be MUCH easier to solve.

 

[Barkhadle1520]

Sounds feasible to me.
Watch how quickly the country booms once cheap energy is easily accessible.
Critical infrastructure issues will be MUCH easier to solve.

Thats what Im saying, its not only about peoples bills being too high, you cant run simple factories because of how expensive the electricity is