Comoros: SONELEC Improves Electricity Supply and Cuts Losses
The Comorian national electricity company, SONELEC, is reporting improvements in electricity supply and financial performance. The announcement follows a difficult period marked by widespread power cuts and significant losses in 2024. On 19 October 2026, the company presented its performance report covering February 2025 to October 2026. According to Comores Infos, monthly losses on Grande Comore fell from 250 million Comorian francs in 2024 to 22 million francs in 2025. Moreover, the company reported a positive result of around 100 million francs per month during the second quarter of 2026. Electricity sales also rose by 7% in 2025, reaching 15.2 billion francs.
Electricity supply has also improved across the three main islands. On Grande Comore, households received an average of 20 hours of electricity per day in 2026, up from 18 hours and 42 minutes in 2025. Meanwhile, Anjouan recorded an average of 18 hours and 19 minutes per day in September 2026. Mohéli maintained a continuous electricity supply, according to La Gazette des Comores. Solar power is also playing a larger role in electricity production. Its share rose from 9.6% in 2024 to nearly 20% in 2026. As a result, SONELEC reported saving 427,000 litres of diesel between January and September 2026, worth approximately 135 million Comorian francs.
Despite these gains, SONELEC still faces major technical and financial challenges. Only 23 megawatts of its 41.6 megawatts of installed thermal capacity are currently available. Therefore, the company plans to invest 33 billion Comorian francs in technical improvements between 2027 and 2029. It also expects support from the World Bank-backed ASCENT project, which includes a grant of 57 million US dollars. According to HabarizaComores, the government’s wider energy strategy focuses on modernising infrastructure and improving reliability. SONELEC aims to provide at least 23 hours of electricity daily across all three islands by 2027. However, achieving this target will depend on funding, equipment repairs and continued government support.
