COTRI YU RAYA— Energy and Light for Life: Advancing rural electrification in Honduras

The Yu Raya Project supports Honduras in driving sustainable rural electrification by strengthening the planning, monitoring and management of Social Electrification Projects (PES), especially in remote and low-income communities.  

Through trilateral cooperation with Brazil, Germany and the European Union, the initiative enhances institutional capacities, introduces innovative monitoring tools, and facilitates knowledge exchange to close the electricity access gap and improve living conditions for rural households. 

Overview

Honduras faces persistent structural challenges in providing electricity to rural communities: over 350,000 households (around 1.5 million people) remain without access, limiting opportunities for education, income generation and wellbeing. While national electrification programs have expanded coverage, gaps persist due to limitations in information systems, fragmented planning and the absence of robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. 

The Yu Raya Project addresses these challenges by strengthening governance and institutional capacities around Social Electrification Projects (PES). It promotes data-driven planning, digital monitoring tools and harmonised procedures, enabling more efficient and sustainable rural electrification. 

Trilateral cooperation plays a central role. Brazil’s experience of raising its rural electrification rate from 74% in 2005 to 97.6% in 2013, provides valuable methods and regulatory practices that Honduras adapts to its context. German and EU support ensures technical rigour, methodological consistency and alignment with international standards. 

The project also includes targeted investments to expand energy access in the isolated community of Sirsirtara, where 164 houses and a public school are set to receive stand-alone photovoltaic systems, bringing greater sustainability, lower operational costs, and long-term reliability. 

Scope and objectives

Closing Honduras's Rural Electricity Gap 

With 45% of its population in rural areas Honduras, continues to face unequal access to electricity, exacerbating poverty and limiting productive development. Structural challenges including limited mapping of electrification needs, weak monitoring of PES implementation and duplicated efforts among institutions have historically reduced the impact of public investments. 

The project strengthens the national electrification strategy by: 

• Enhancing planning, monitoring and evaluation of PES
• Promoting interinstitutional coordination
• Introducing digital systems and indicators to support decision-making
• Facilitating knowledge exchange with Brazilian regulatory and operational experts
• Ensuring that electrification initiatives are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable 

The overarching goal is to accelerate progress toward universal electricity access by 2030, creating the conditions for inclusive rural development. 

Results and impact

• Five virtual technical exchange sessions between Honduras and experts from ANEEL and Energisa, strengthening capacities of more than 390 professionals in the regulation of isolated systems, rural distribution and microgrid management.
• In-person technical mission to Brazil (May 2024) with 15 Honduran representatives, featuring technical training, policy dialogues and a field visit to a model microgrid in Goiás.
• Participation in the Latin American Forum on Cooperative Energy (Brazil, September 2024), raising the project’s visibility and connecting Honduras to regional debates on social electrification.
• Redesign of the electrification strategy for Sirsirtara, shifting from a microgrid to stand-alone solar systems - a more effective solution given geographical dispersion, maintenance challenges and community capacities.
• Procurement of photovoltaic systems completed, with installation  covering 171 households and one school.
• A partnership between SEN and PRONADERS ensured complementary provision of solar panels, accelerating implementation.
• Development and delivery of a comprehensive training plan for system users, operators and community leaders, with training materials translated into Miskitu to promote inclusion and local ownership. 

These results reinforce governance, improve coordination, and lay the foundations for scalable, sustainable rural electrification models. 

About the project

Partnership and Governance 

The Yu Raya Project is delivered through a trilateral cooperation partnership comprising: 

Honduras 

The Secretariat of Energy (SEN) leads national coordination, ensures alignment with electrification strategies and manages implementation across institutions and communities. SEN also oversees planning towards universal access by 2030 and establishes governance mechanisms for Social Electrification Projects. 

Brazil 

The Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) coordinates Brazil's participation. ANEEL provides technical and regulatory expertise on the electrification of isolated systems, monitoring tools, regulatory frameworks and data governance, alongside methodologies and best practice for rural electrification design, regulation and monitoring. 

Germany and European Union 

Germany and the EU contribute financial support, technical advice, project management expertise and methodological guidance, ensuring alignment with EU standards, sustainable development approaches and institutional capacity building. 

Together, the partners are advancing inclusive electrification, institutional capacity and regional collaboration. 

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