Mareb's electricity gas station started last Saturday its first experimental work, in preparation for the inauguration of the project in January 2009. Currently, work is being done to link the power station to the capital Sana'a.

The station general manager Khalid Rashed, told media outlets that the experimental operations would continue until mid of next January, adding that the electricity's work team wants to assure beforehand the readiness of the station, and to solve any problems that might erupt before the inauguration of the project early next year.

The station was financed by the Yemeni government and the Arabic Bank for development and cost nearly $268 million. Nearly 96% of the station has been completed until now.

Yemeni government is desperately trying to make the project a complete success in order to solve the pending electricity crisis the country has been facing for more than a decade. This comes at a time when electricity cuts have increased throughout the country even in the capital, where some districts of Sana'a witness 3-4 cuts during the duration of the day.

The Ministry of Electricity announced earlier this year its intention to generate electricity through nuclear power, however, it faced fierce criticism from opposition parties and energy experts who claimed that the company that was supposed to run the nuclear plant did not have the experience needed to run such a project. Months later, the project was cancelled by the government.

The Ministry of Electricity also thought that there were other possible mean to  generating power which would also cost the country less and be safer on the environment. Three months ago, the ministry announced signing an agreement with a British Company to generate electricity through wind power.