In Madagascar, only 15 % of inhabitants are connected to an electricity supply network. Although 58 % of the urban population has access to electricity, the percentage is less than 5 % in rural areas, where 70 % of the country’s population live. Today, almost 14 million people living in rural areas have no access to electricity, which is a major obstacle to improving the quality of their life. The majority of electricity networks are supplied by thermal generators, whereas the country has considerable hydroelectric potential, which is largely under-exploited.
Launched in 2008, the Rhyviere I project (in french) (Hydroelectric village network and protection of the environment), funded by Ader (Agency for the development of rural electricity) and the European Union under the Energy Facility, and conducted by GRET in partnership with Energy Assistance, sought to respond to the challenges of developing micro-hydroelectricity for rural electrification in Madagascar.
This document is a summary of the methodology used and the results obtained by this programme. In particular, it pursues the objective of better understanding of the challenges related to developing this type of project and its limits, and thereby to contribute to continued support for the electrification sector in Madagascar.
Download the publication entitled “Le projet Rhyviere I à Madagascar : retour d’expérience sur un projet d’hydroélectricité en milieu rural” (in french) (The Rhyviere I project in Madagascar: feedback on a hydroelectric project in a rural area in Madagascar
More information on GRET’s activities in Madagascar
This publication was produced with financial support from the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of GRET and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the European Union.
