According to the Bank’s website, the objective of this project is to accelerate access to sustainable and clean energy in Comoros.

Components:

Component 1. Network strengthening and modernization of system operations
This component will support improvements in the quality, reliability, availability and climate resilience of electricity service through targeted investments in distribution infrastructure and system modernization. It will finance the rehabilitation, reinforcement, and expansion of medium- and low-voltage networks, together with measures to improve voltage quality, reduce technical losses, strengthen redundancy, and enhance the network’s ability to integrate new connections.

Component 2. Electricity and clean cooking access expansion
This component will support the expansion of electricity access through a combination of grid-based and off-grid solutions, with the objective of accelerating progress toward universal access, and it will initial the scale-up of clean cooking solutions. The component will primarily focus on expanding on-grid access to reliable and affordable electricity services, complementing on-grid electrification with distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions in underserved and remote areas where grid expansion alone may not be economically viable to be identified based on the updated least-cost analysis and technical and financial feasibility studies to be conducted at the outset of project implementation.

Component 3. Technical assistance, institutional strengthening, and project implementation support
This component will strengthen the institutional, technical, and operational capacity of key sector institutions to support both project implementation and broader sector development. It will finance technical assistance, capacity building, systems development, and sector studies for MEEH, ANREE, and SONELEC, with a focus on strengthening sector planning, regulation, utility performance, renewable energy readiness, and monitoring systems. The component will also support project coordination and implementation through financing for fiduciary functions, environmental and social risk management, monitoring and evaluation, verification of performance-based conditions, communication, and citizen engagement, thereby helping ensure effective delivery of project activities and sustainability of results.

Environmental risk is assessed as Substantial based on the project’s nationwide scope, sectoral context, and the nature of the proposed activities. The project is expected to involve grid rehabilitation and extension, decentralized renewable energy systems, and associated civil works across the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli. Anticipated environmental risks are predictable, largely site-specific, and generally reversible, but require careful management. Key risks include Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) hazards for workers, community health and safety risks around construction sites, traffic disruption due to trench excavation, and the generation of solid and liquid waste. Additional risks include vegetation clearance and habitat disturbance along transmission and distribution corridors, particularly near ecologically sensitive areas, as well as potential biodiversity impacts such as bird collisions and electrocution associated with energy infrastructure. Pollution risks may arise from hazardous materials and waste, including older electrical equipment containing oils, PCBs, or heavy metals, and from improper management of e-waste such as batteries, solar PV panels, and electronic components.

Social Risk Rating is assessed as Substantial. The project is likely to generate a range of adverse social impacts that are significant but generally manageable with appropriate mitigation measures. While the site-specific scale and complexity of the planned interventions are not yet known, based on the nature of the expected works, the planned activities in the country context involve (i) risks related to land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, especially for the rehabilitation and expansion of MV/LV networks, construction of substations and feeder lines including to support the last mile electrification in densely populated urban and peri-urban areas, restrictions in access to areas needed for civil works and/or operation, which may lead to potential adverse impacts on livelihoods (temporary and/or permanent), including the risk of increased costs resulting from grid and service improvements, particularly on socioeconomically vulnerable groups; (ii) community health and safety concerns, including those associated with labor influx, SEA/SH risks, risk of accidents for the local population, particularly during excavations and other civil works and during the movement of vehicles; (iii) risk of potential exclusion and elite capture of project benefits, mainly for the implementation of the component 3 activities.

Total Project Cost: US$ 57.00 million
IDA Grant: US$ 57.00 million

National Electricity Company of Comoros (SONELEC) is a vertically integrated state-owned company that manages electricity generation, and distribution across the three islands of Grande Comoros, Anjouan, and Mohéli.

CONTACT POINT - World Bank

Task Team Leader: Komenan Koffi
Title: Senior Energy Specialist
Email: kkoffi1@worldbank.org

TTL Contact: Alona Kazantseva
Job Title: Energy Specialist
Email: akazantseva@worldbank.org

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The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. Information on how to file a complaint and a complaint request form are available at: https://www.inspectionpanel.org/how-to-file-complaint