• Global South Utilities (GSU) has begun building a 5 MWp hybrid solar plant with 5 MWh battery storage in eastern Chad.

• Abu Dhabi Fund for Development finances the project through a grant to the Chadian government.

• Chad’s electricity access rate stands at 12%, with less than 1% coverage in rural areas.

UAE-based Global South Utilities (GSU) announced on Thursday, February 12, that it has started construction of a 5 MWp hybrid solar power plant in Amdjarass, eastern Chad, according to Renewables Now. The project includes a 5 MWh battery energy storage system and a 5 MVA diesel generator. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development finances the project through a grant awarded to the Chadian government.

After commissioning, the project company will transfer the infrastructure to the Agency for the Development of Rural Electrification and Energy Efficiency. GSU stated that the plant will provide continuous electricity supply and will support water pumping and water treatment systems in the Amdjarass area.

The project follows the inauguration in September 2025 of the 50 MW Noor Chad solar plant in Djarmaya, which GSU also developed. However, grid constraints currently limit injection into the network operated by Tchadelec to 12 MW. Chad has installed generation capacity of 487 MW, but the country operates only 467 km of medium-voltage transmission lines and two dispatch substations, which restrict distribution capacity.

In 2023, electricity access reached only 12% of the population, according to the World Bank. Urban access stood at 48%, while rural access remained below 1%.

Beyond Chad, GSU expanded its African footprint in 2025 by announcing agreements and projects in the Central African Republic and Madagascar. In Madagascar, the company plans to develop a 50 MW solar project with 25 MWh of battery storage in Moramanga.

This article was initially published in French by Abdoullah Diop

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum