Yemeni–French Talks to Strengthen Cooperation in the Electricity Sector and Support Energy Reforms
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Yemen’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Adnan Al-Kaf, held talks on Monday in the temporary capital Aden with a French delegation headed by the French ambassador to Yemen, Catherine Corm-Kammoun, to discuss ways to enhance technical and investment cooperation in the electricity sector and support ongoing reform efforts to improve services.
During the meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of continued coordination to develop the energy sector and support the government’s plans to improve power generation and ease citizens’ suffering caused by the electricity crisis.
Minister Al-Kaf reviewed the main challenges facing the sector, foremost among them the shortage of fuel needed to operate power stations in Aden. He stressed the need for practical and sustainable solutions to ensure stable supply, including exploring alternative options for transporting crude oil by sea.
Al-Kaf underlined that the electricity crisis is a humanitarian priority directly affecting people’s daily lives. He noted that the ministry is implementing a package of reforms that includes restructuring the electricity sector and defining the roles of generation, transmission, and distribution, in addition to reviewing previous projects in coordination with the World Bank to ensure implementation according to clear technical standards.
He added that the government is moving toward developing a new financing model based on providing guarantees to attract private-sector investment in energy projects. He also noted that the electricity file will be a priority during the upcoming Spring Meetings in Washington.
The minister also pointed to plans to strengthen regional partnerships—particularly with Saudi Arabia—through electricity interconnection projects and broader cooperation in the energy sector, in addition to plans to establish new generation capacity of up to 200 megawatts and expand renewable-energy projects, especially wind power.
For her part, the French ambassador stressed the importance of adopting structural reforms in the electricity sector based on strengthening governance and developing a clear master plan, along with improving the legal framework to help attract investment and ensure the sector’s sustainability.
