WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

1.1.4 Madagascar
Lara Esser, International Center on Small Hydro Power
Key facts
Population 22,005,222 1
Area 587,041 km 2
Climate Tropical climate along the coast,
temperate in the inland and arid in the
south. The wet season is from the end
of December to April. River discharge
decreases gradually after April. The dry
season starts in the middle of October
and continues to the end of December,
during which the output of most
hydropower plants decreases. 1
Topography The island has a high plateau and
mountains in its centre, with narrow
coastal plains.
Rain
Pattern
Most rain falls during summer
(November to April), with rainfall during
winter (May to October) restricted to
the southern and eastern coasts. In the
south rainfall may remain low (on
average less than 800 mm each year), in
contrast to regions in the northeast of
the country which on average receive
more than 3,500 mm of annual rainfall. 2
Electricity sector overview
Information on the country’s electrification rate varies.
According to the German Agency for Technical
Cooperation-Poverty-Oriented Basic Energy Services-
European Union Energy Initiative (GTZ-HERA-EUEI) - and
as of 2010, the electrification rate in Madagascar was
about 23 per cent with a large difference between
urban areas (rate above 60 per cent) and rural areas
(less than 10 per cent). 3 According to the Rural
Electrification Agency, the national electrification rate
was 10.56 per cent in urban areas and 4.07 per cent in
rural areas. 4 There are three grids in the country:
Antananarivo Grid, Toamasina Grid and Fianarantsoa
Grid. 5 The majority of electricity is generated using
hydropower (figure 1).
Solar
Thermal
Hydropower
< 0.01%
44.05%
55.95%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Madagascar
Source: Jiro sy Rano Malagasy 6
Note: Data from 2010.
Since 2004, the fully state-owned utility responsible for
the provision of electricity and water services in the
country has ceded its electricity activities to the Rural
Electrification Agency (REA). REA decided to promote
private sector participation in rural electrification and
developed local energy plans with the aim of providing
electricity to the entire country by the end of 2010. 3 It
offers a maximum of 70 per cent of investment costs to
private operators, who contribute the remainder and
receive the concession to utilize the plant for 10-20
years. 3 Local commercial banks are also interested to
partially finance small hydropower projects and could
provide approximately 30-60 per cent of the investment
costs. 3
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) is the
authority having jurisdiction over the energy sector,
taking charge of the investment and the development
strategy policy, including foreign assistance requests.
MEM issues permits for plants larger than 1 MW.
Smaller plants are handled by the REA. 3 The electricity
sector is regulated under the Office de Régulation de
l'Electricité (ORE).
JIRAMA (Jiro sy Rano Malagasy), the state-managed
company that provides electricity and water services
takes charge of the technical aspects of the power
sector. 5 It operates and maintains power stations,
transmission and distribution lines in the comparatively
widespread electrification region, and obtains its
income from the sale of electricity. 7 In general, the
majority of electric power plants are operated by
JIRAMA, and the rest by the private power utility
companies. In the past years, about 50 small new
electrification projects were realized by private
companies. 7
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
There is no database for the installed small hydropower
plants in Madagascar. According to the REA, there are
four plants with a total installed capacity of 22.51 MW
(figure 2). 4 All of them need renovation, since they were
commissioned averagely 25 years ago.
SHP installed capacity (up to 10 MW)
SHP potential (up to 10 MW)
SHP installed capacity (>10 MW)
SHP potential (> 10 MW)
23 MW
unknown
101 MW
2600 MW
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Madagascar
Source: Rakotoarimanana 4
In 2006, the REA as part of its objective to promote
renewable energy projects sponsored seven small
hydropower plants which are located in a radius of not
more than 120 km of the capital Antananarivo. 4
28