Country snapshot · Central Africa
Chad
Solar added each year
Ember estimates of all solar (utility-scale, distributed and off-grid), MW. 2026 is Ember’s full-year estimate.
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| Year | MW | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 20.2 | Ember estimate |
| 2024 | 20.4 | Ember estimate |
| 2025 | 105.2 | Ember estimate |
| 2026E | 32.1 | Ember estimate, full year |
0.2% of Africa’s estimated 2026 solar additions (32.1 of 17,449.4 MW).1
Who has electricity
Share of people with access to electricity, 2024: rural and urban.
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| Area | Access | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rural | – | 2024 |
| Urban | 51.0% | 2024 |
| National | 13.4% | 2024 |
– Not available in sources reviewed. See the notes at the foot of the page.
World Bank WDI, 2024.2
How reliable is the grid for business?
Firms experiencing electrical outages (2023 survey), compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.3,4N5
96.2% (2023 survey) · Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4% · World 47.5% (2025)
The rules for small-scale generationN6
Export rules: Partial
- Regulator
- ARSE
- Main utility
- SNE
Export rulesDecree 1843/2019 covers sale of renewable surplus to distribution licensees; whether it applies to small rooftop systems is not stated. No net metering.5Medium confidenceShow detail
Decree N°1843/PR/MPME/2019 (8 Nov 2019) on transport of RE electricity and sale of surpluses to distribution licensees — national decree under Law 036/PR/PM/2019. Applicability to small rooftop/embedded systems NOT stated; no net-metering found
How exports are creditedNone foundShow detail
None found (decree text itself not fetched)
Size limits and licensingSelf-consumption under 1 MW: prior declaration; larger: production licence.6Medium confidenceShow detail
Self-consumption <1 MW: prior declaration; larger: production licence (tender or spontaneous application, Decree 1841/2019)
Mini-grid rulesNone in force; compact committed to off-grid texts by end-2025 (status unverified).6Medium confidenceShow detail
None in force; compact commits to private mini-grid approval process and off-grid implementing texts by end-2025 (status at Oct 2026 not verified)
Market access beyond the utilityLaw 036/2019 opens the sector to competition; Decree 1840/2019 on third-party access.6Medium confidenceShow detail
Law 036/2019 opens generation, transport, distribution, import/export and sale to competition; Decree 1840/2019 on third-party network access
Aggregation / VPP rulesNone foundShow detail
None found
“None found” means we could not locate a rule in public sources reviewed to 10 October 2026, not that one cannot exist.
Recent developments
Dated developments, 2024–2026.
The full report
This is a snapshot. The full story is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
The full analysis, with 17 exhibits on the boom, the data gap, the economics and the four building blocks, is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
