Libya Drives Forward the Expansion of Renewable Energy With the Inauguration of Its First Solar Facility

Libya solar power plant begins operations in the secluded town of Kufra which is in the Sahara Desert Southern region bordered by Egypt, Sudan, and Chad. Although Africa is still heavily invested in the production of crude oil, it is now in the process of attempting to diversify its energy production and use, and, thus, build fences around its reliance on fossil fuels. The completion of the solar facility is proof and recognition of the milestones achieved by the country in its set goal to achieve this.

Infinity Libya and Al-Jouf Free Zone partners share in the completion of the solar plant now set at one Megawatt. It is still in the early stages of power plants as it only began producing power in September 2024, and it reached full functionality 8 months after the agreement was signed on the collab. Although this plant only has the nominal capacity to store 2,182 MWh in a year, it is a vital step towards the goal of Libya solar energy production. The region’s Al-Jouf Free Zone industrial area is about to experience the advantages of its clean energy. It is estimated the power plant will provide energy to 500 – 1,000 civilians based on the spending patterns of the region.

Besides providing electricity, it has considerable impact on the environment. Analysts project that the project will reduce the consumption of diesel by about 545,000 liters each year. This is a significant impact considering the rampant use of diesel generators in the more remote areas of the country. Also, the project has the potential of lowering the emission of around 1,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide, thus helping Libya in trying to meet the international climate agreements and the increasing focus in the world to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. By developing the facility focusing on industrial areas, it shows how renewable power not only helps the environment but also provides economically viable energy to the industries that need stable power supply.

Solar energy investment in Libya is certainly a paradox given the large oil deposits the country has. By the beginning of 2024, Libya has 48 billion proven oil reserves, about 41% of Africa’s total. But huge electricity demand that is estimated to reach 20 GW by the end of 2025 has brought to light the challenges of a dependence on fossil fuels. Increasing industrial and domestic use need new sources of energy and solar power is emerging as the most viable and strategically important source.

Libya’s energy plans set ambitious goals for renewable energy usage. The nation seeks to deploy roughly 4 GW of renewables by 2035 and aims for renewables to make up 20% of the energy portfolio. To facilitate these goals, The Solar Plan, which was recently announced, aims to invest $10 billion into solar power infrastructure which would cover 40% of Libya’s electricity needs fuelling the country’s long-term solar energy strategy. The plan also aims for 4GW of solar power installed by 2035.

Within the National Solar Program, there are 500 MW integrated solar power plants developed by TotalEnergies, the Ghadames project financed by AG Energy and other plants along with 500 MW of distributed rooftop solar installations. The plan also aims to build 1,500 MW of solar power in the eastern region in conjunct with PowerChina and EDF. All these projects strive to achieve carbon-free energy for the nation.

While smaller than other projects, the Kufra facility has both symbolic and practical value. The facility is wholly operated by a team of local Libyan engineers, showcasing the country’s investment in growing its specialized technical workforce. This investment ensures operational autonomy and sustainable employment and skills development in underdeveloped areas. The strategic benefits of the facility highlighted by the leadership of Infinity Libya is equally important. While Chairman Mohamed Ismail Mansour projects it as an enduring prototype of local sustainable development, Managing Director Fahd Benhalim has stated the project’s crosssectoral renewable energy potential in agriculture, oil and gas, and industrial manufacturing is limitless.

The Kufra plant’s success also sets an important precedent for the growing interest in the deployment of renewable energy projects in Libya. Solar energy, unlike large scale oil projects, does not require decades of planning and construction, making it a desirable energy alternative in the Libyan energy market. This is particularly true in the context of Libya’s energy demands and the aggressive fluctuations of fossil fuel energy.

“Analysts in the social and the economy sectors have praised this accomplishment for illustrating that even marginally considered the energy strategy in Libya attends to, desert areas can indeed carry as principal to a country’s sustainable energy future. The great expanse of the Sahara, bathed in the Sun’s rays, presents a Libya that could be a regional powerhouse in solar energy, and still an unexploited renewable resource. The Kufra project shows that even small, community-centric renewable energy projects can have a profound impact on the evidence while building a foundation for greater infrastructure investment in the future. It also dovetails with the growing adoption of renewable energy. In the rest of the world, there is a growing awareness to the need to balance energy demand with environmental sustainability. For Libya, solar energy is an opportunity to shift to a more varied energy resource without compromising on economic development, diversify the oil export dependent economy, and safeguard energy sovereignty. In the world of fluctuating energy markets, the ability to produce electricity from renewables at home offers a protective shield from the shocks of international price and supply disruptions.”

Over the next few months, the Kufra plant is projected to trim down operational costs in Libya’s renewable sector. The lessons learned from the initial installation, such as community collaboration, employee management, and training, as well as operational management, will play a huge role in constructing bigger and more productive plants. The success and the exposure of the Kufra plant will entice private investments, international partnerships and innovative technology along with financing tools tailored to the energy conditions of North Africa.

The development of the plant will also improve the overall social well-being of the citizens. Remote areas will see an improved quality of life, as industrial development becomes more feasible and the reliance on dirty and expensive diesel generators is eliminated. Local development will be boosted by the construction of schools, healthcare facilities, and small enterprises, all of which will thrive due to the dependable power supply.

To sum up, the opening of the solar facility in Kufra is an important milestone in Libya’s sustainable energy strategy. Though small in scale, the Kufra solar project still demonstrates Libya’s focus on innovation, local development and environmental protection. In the future, Libya’s ambitious energy development goals might help put the desert sun, which was previously an afterthought in Libya’s energy strategy, at the very heart of its development. It might even turn the Sahara into an important source of renewable energy for North Africa.

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