Addis Ababa, 09 June 2015 (WIC) – Ethiopia plans to launch additional hydropower dams and other renewable energy projects over the next five years that will add an additional 12,000 megawatts of electricity upon completion, MoFA.
During the Growth and Transformation Plan 1 (GTP 1), which ends this year, work started on the $4.1 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the $1.8 billion Gilgel Gibe 3 which will start to generate power next month.
Together when complete the dams will boost generating capacity from the current 2,400 mw to more than 10,000 mw. Under the Growth and Transformation Plan 2, due to be endorsed by Parliament when the new Parliament meets in October, another 12,000 mw will be added to the country’s power output.
Ms. Azeb Asnake, the Chief Executive of Ethiopian Electric Power, told the Reuters news agency that the plan called for the additional projects to be financed at least 50% from internal sources and the rest from grants, soft loans and commercial loans from foreign banks or similar sources.
Dams on several of the tributaries of the Omo and the Nile are part of the plan but solar, wind and geothermal projects are also planned. The Government said four years ago that it planned to launch projects to raise generating capacity to 20,000 megawatts by 2020.
The completion of GTP 1 and GTP 2 will allow for slightly more than that once the projects are completed. The priority is to satisfy domestic needs but this amount of power will also allow for exports.
Small amounts are already being sold to Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti and MoUs have also been signed with South Sudan, Tanzania and Rwanda. There is also the possibility of an underwater power link with Yemen which is under discussion.
In the longer term, export of power will be offered to countries in northern and southern Africa. Ms. Azeb said Ethiopia had the resources to power a very large part of Africa.