Melaku Tamirat
At this time where the world is bombarded with air pollution, its suggested that utilizing renewable energy sources is the way to go. This is why our country has focused on working on renewable energy sources; basing on the current projection of the world which will arch into economic and social chaos.
Utilizing renewable energy in Ethiopia drives from its green economy strategy. The strategy has four main points. The first has to do with delivering agricultural development and top notch land utilization. The second concerns with carrying out forest development and protection work in a way that benefits the environment and economic order.
The third includes utilizing appropriate, improved and on-demand technological products for transport service and construction works. The fourth has to do with generating clean energy. These points are expected to drive Ethiopia’s green development economy to its objective.
The strategy posits upon three interlinking objectives. Bringing sustainable economic growth and development, reducing green house effect through green development and guaranteeing stability of climate.
And renewable energy is taken as the strategy’s main basis. In this article, I’ll try to point to my readers the role renewable energy sources plays in green development economy.
The question ‘How can renewable energy be a cornerstone to green economy development?’ can serve as supporter for the aforementioned points. Ethiopia’s immense renewable energy potential is main option to drive development sustainably and make the atmosphere clean.
Also the political statement, on top of the economic one, of renewable energy should not be underestimated here. Nowadays, it has come to a level where it can decide upon the tone of countries interrelation.
Considering the non-renewability and limitation of its alternative’s, meaning the oil resource, choosing renewable energy definitely has a political underlining to it.
As having energy assurance is a main agenda of the economic and environmental policies, it garners the attention of the politicians. Thus, it can be said that countries are pressurized to build an economic development that’s based on renewable energy.
Especially, if citizens continue to be harmed from natural disasters that are caused by air pollution, it will pose an existential issue on citizens and even the country as well. In relation, the country’s political direction will be forced to change gear. And countries’ interrelation, cooperation and competition for influence will hinge on this issue.
At the 69th UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Haile-Mariam Desalegn made a speech with regards to global warming in which he stated the international community should contribute its own part to tackle the problem.
He also explained to the Assembly that Ethiopia is contributing its own part. This is because the effect of Global warming is significant on developing countries.
This is why Ethiopia is focusing on green development; and pointed its attention towards renewable energy. The energy policy of the country stipulates that a step-by-step move from the existing traditional way of generating power to modern energy utilization is necessary.
It has an aim to provide enough energy supply to the market on fair price, while providing adequate power to the economy. In relation to this, the policy works to maintain (sustain) the health of the atmosphere through saving clean energy.
As a result, Ethiopia has the vision to enter middle-income countries by 2025. Both the Ethiopia government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are heard saying that Ethiopia will continue to have an economy that will keep on growing.
In order to turn this into reality, works are underway to increase agriculture productivity to make the industry sector the basis of the economy and to raise the standard of export.
There is now an understanding that the country can realize its vision, by maintaining its sustainable growth, if it can play a central role in the effort to tackle climate change, which is posing a challenge on the International community’s all-encompassing development.
It takes the experts suggestion that doing things the traditional or typical way will run into difficulty. And adhering to an economic growth strategy that takes this into account widens the chance to get away from the challenges climate change poses.
It also lessens scarcity of foreign currency that otherwise would be spent upon importing oil. This is part of the reason why it is said that there is no other choice for Ethiopia than following the path of green development strategy.
Its believed that actions that are taken as part of this strategy will bring about positive change with regards to investment, hastening the economic development and generating additional value-added job opportunities.
When this strategy was formulated, it was projected Ethiopia will need 150 million USD for the next 20 years to build a green economy. To reach at this goal, the constructive role the international development partners and the private sector plays is taken into account. Also, it accounts to compensatory money that would be given to the country and continent.
Taking all these into account, Ethiopia is trying to build an economic order that revolves around the demand and supply of renewable energy. Here, it should be asked why Ethiopia peculiarly needed renewable energy strategy.
Nowadays, if we take China and India (for instance), they now have more than double population of the segment that used to monopolize the world’s consumption. As these countries rapidly grow, it’s inevitable that their appetite for natural resources grow as well.
Although substitute energy sources can be produced using technologies, it’s impossible to fully substitute all of the natural wealth or lessen the demand for it.
Thus, following the emergence of new economical centers, the demand on agricultural products and various minerals have grown immensely. For the first time in a long time, their price has increased or shown an inclination towards growing.
Nowadays, it has become clear that the way natural resources used to be utilized by the Europeans cannot sustain the current global population income which is increasing in a lightning speed.
For instance, if we take oil, as its non-renewable energy source, there is not enough to feed China alone in a way it used to be utilized by Europe and American. Thus, unless a scheme that can hugely save resources in the way we utilize them is formulated, the initiated development will hit a dead end after a while.
Before this approach hits dead end and stop, some suspicious signs that have that have the capability to devastate the world’s natural balance have already been seen. So, unless new ways of doing things are set up, inevitably the already ‘in-use’ system will hit a snag due to scarcity of resources.
There are efforts to create and expand technologies that would help save natural resources; like for example technologies that can generate oil and electricity from renewable energy sources. Obviously, this approach will need time (at least some decades).
The other positive spin using renewable energy has on is climate change. The development directives western European countries and America adhere to is based upon generating power from nonrenewable energy sources like carbon chemicals. It heavily drives upon using coal and oil. However, these energy sources are nonrenewable.
Thus, not only they lead to a level that it couldn’t sustain the development any more, but it contributes to global warming through stocking up the level of carbon dioxide, their byproduct, on the atmosphere.
The stocking up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased the temperature of the globe by one degree centigrade at average, which is significantly changing the climate in various areas.
Its predicted that it will rise to two degree centigrade if it continues with its current projection. When this happens, the huge quantities of ice bergs at North and South Pole will start to melt. It’s expected that this will increase the level of the oceans in one to three meters. When the temperature and amount of the oceans rise, its predicted that it would engulf many islands and low coastal plains by ocean water. In relation to this, its expected that the climate of large swathe of areas will see tremendous change.
Africa, though not culprit in sending carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as or to the extent of the industrialized and developed countries, it has been in the front in respect to being the harmed party in this. The cutting down of forests, which would help control and balance the climate change, has cost the continent dearly.
This is partly why it has became clear that our country development direction should incorporate a new and renewable power alternative. Also the fact that playing an active role in this endeavor provides additional hand for our economy and help build a positive image for our country, can be taken as an extra reason.
Based on this, the development plan will enable Ethiopia to realize its goal to become carbon free middle income country by 2025. One way of doing this is through extensively producing electric power from renewable energy sources and selling surplus power to neighboring countries.
Considering its immense hydro-power potential, our country has initiated huge activities to generate electric power from water resources. There are also plans to generate power from wind, geothermal, sugar byproduct and, to a less extent, from sunlight.
In parallel with this, in order to make our power usage effective and less wasteful, there are plans to install transmission and distribution lines. There is also plan to utilize electric power for (train) transport.
Within this process, it’s extensively generate electric power in a way that doesn’t release any carbon dioxide (to the atmosphere). And these ideas are not left on the paper. There are wide ranging works being done on all these sectors. Especially, the efforts made to generate power from water energy are recording satisfactory changes.
When looking into the works done at all sectors; we can see that works are underway to strengthen and utilize the country’s natural resources, setting up an effective and efficient energy utilization that would help make use of the tight foreign exchange, and providing a stable energy supply that would enable to fend off either domestic or foreign ignited supply deficiency and price fluctuation, thereby protecting the economy.
In order to realize these objectives, the energy policy will enable for sustainable and reliable energy supply, and procedures that will allow for an indigenous rapid energy development, and also that would fend off air pollution. As a result, the policy gives attention to water power development and energy utilization that encourages diversified usage of energy like sunlight, wind and Geo-thermal energy sources.
It holds the objective to step-by-step change the public’s traditional utilization of energy into a climate-friendly one. Currently, the country’s energy power is 2,177 Mega watts; and the work to increase the power energy to accommodate the growing demand for energy and the increasing foreign direct investment is in full swing.
Understanding the huge role electric power plays on all utility services, the FDRE government for the past 22 years (especially the last 13 years) has been exerting huge efforts to make electrical power accessible to every part of the country through launching power generating projects from water, wind and geothermal; side by side with power transmitters and distribution projects. Out of the most discussed constructions; the country has been able to generate 73 mega watts of electrical power from ‘Tis Ababy II’ hydro power project, 184 mega watts from ‘Gibe I’ hydro power project, 300 mega watts from ‘Tekeze, 420 mega watts from ‘Gibe II’, 460 mega watts from ‘Beles’, and 97 mega watts from ‘Fincha amretinesh’ hydro project power.
Within these successful years, we have been able to see that there are other alternatives, other than the existing ones, that can help solve the country’s power scarcities.
Also, taking into account the wind energy as a source of power, Ethiopia has been able to get 51 mega watts of electrical power from one energy generating source in Adama and 120 mega watts from Ashegoda wind power generating source in Tigray region.
Currently, there are many places recruited for this purpose. Out of this, three places have already been selected: Metahra where its expected to generate 50 mega watts, and Dera area where is expected to generate 60 mega watts, and areas that have been chosen to generate power from the Sun through Photo Voltaic process.
An area in Debre Brhane which is posited to generate 10 mega watts of power will be a sunlight energy source in Amhara region. Generally from these projects, it’s possible to generate up to 150 mega watts of energy.
Despite its immense potential of renewable energy source in water, the country has laid a strategic plan to develop other renewable source as options. This will enable the country to lessen its dependency on the mostly water–based energy source.
Water energy is the country’s main source of electric power. And as per the five-year Transformation and Growth Plan, the country is working to bring its electric power up to an unprecedented 8800 mega watt.
The Gibe III project; which is expected to generate 1870 mega watts, is projected to strengthen the country’s power capability once it becomes operational in 2015.
The Grand Renaissance Dam; which is told of having 35% of its work being completed, will generate up to 6000 mega watts and will be a great leap with regards to increasing the country’s water energy capability.
15 projects that are expected to expand the country’s water energy capabilities in the same manner are planned. Feasibility study on some of them has already been finished.
‘Wabi Shebelle 18’, ‘Baro I and II’, ‘Gojeb’, ‘Geba I and II’, ‘Derebu I and II’ are some of the prospect water energy projects. Feasibility study is being done on ‘Tekeze II’, ‘Bekoabo’, ‘Manedaya’, ‘Gibe V’ and ‘Gibe IV’. While, ‘Genale V’, ‘Tames’, ‘Dabus’, ‘Berber’, and ‘lower Dedesa’ are currently being studied.
Out of these, its expected that ‘Gibe IV’ will generate 1400 mega watts, ‘manedadya’ 2000 mega watts, and ‘Bekoabo’ 17000 mega watts of electrical power. It’s believed that water energy will be the source of power to the Industry sector, which the country is aiming to transform its economy into.
The other renewable energy source the Ethiopian government is working in parallel to water energy is wind energy. Ethiopia has a general potential of generating up to 1350 Giga watts from wind energy.
Up to now, there is the Chinese company E.I.M funded wind power generator in Adama with a capacity to generate 51 mega watts. The other is the Ashegoda wind power generator that’s built by a French company called ‘Verginet S.E’; it generates 120 mega watts.
In addition to these wind power generators, it’s projected that massive power will be generated from future projects that aim to tap into the country’s immense potential in this regard.
The Ethiopian government is working to get 153 mega watts of wind power from ‘Adama II’. In addition to this, there are other prospects chosen for this. Its currently in various phases of construction to generate 100 mega watts from ‘Assela’, 100 mega watts from ‘Debre Brhane’, 300 mega watts from ‘Aisha’, 250 mega watts from ‘Galema’, and 42 mega watts from ‘Mosebo harena’.
With regards to geothermal energy wealth, the country has a meaningful stock sparsed around its rift valley area and in Afar low lands. In other words, this means an area of 1000 km that stretches from Ethio-Kenya border to Red sea.
It’s believed that Ethiopia has the potential to generate more than 1000 mega watts from this area alone. It’s said that the country has been scanning to utilize this renewable energy starting from 1969. From the scanning made since then, up to 16 potential areas have been found.
The first part is the one that consists of ‘Alutalangano’, ‘Korbeti’, and ‘Abaya’ which are situated around the great lakes area. The second part is situated in Southern Afar; potential geothermal basins are founded in areas like ‘Tulu moye’, ‘Gedemsa’, ‘Dofan’, ‘Fentale’, and ‘Meteka’. The Northern Afar region is seen as the third part. Potential geothermal energy sources are founded at ‘Tendaho’ and ‘Dallol’.
Potential geothermal spots like ‘Aluto-Langano’ and ‘Tendaho’ have been confirmed after thorough studies done on them; especially the ‘Aluto-Langano’ pilot project is already generating 7.3 mega watts.
However, based on this pilot project, there are six potential geothermal spots that are selected for future investment. There is a plan in place to generate 75 mega watts from ‘Aluto’, 100 mega watts from ‘Tendaho’, 75 mega watts from ‘orbeti’, 100 mega watts from ‘Abaya’, 50 mega watts from ‘Dofan’ and 40 mega watts from ‘Tulu moye’. As it’s known feasibility study on ‘Aluto’ was finished done on 2010. Its told that its currently operational.
Nevertheless, there are problems with regards to capital to develop these geothermal potentials and utilize it for internal consumption and external market. Despite this, still there are many bi-lateral agreements being striked.
One can look at ‘Africa RIFT Valley Geothermal Development Project’ for this. Though the project embraces, not only Ethiopia, but also Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Eritrea, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia; it’s believed that Ethiopia will be the main focus of the project.
As it can be remembered, the World Bank has recently allocated 4 Billion birr for geothermal energy development. The support of the US government is huge in this regard. It has been said that the ‘Tendaho’ geothermal energy spot is garnering the most buzz from the project.
A company by the name of ‘Reykjavik Energy Investment’ had signed on to carry out the feasibility study on the ‘Tendaho’ power basin. And it was reported that later the development work has started.
Its said that the country will have the opportunity to gain 100 mega watts of energy from ‘Tendaho’ Geothermal project. And if it operates within the expected level, its believed that it will give Ethiopia an opportunity in knowledge transfer and financial transfer.
The Ethiopian government is facilitating geothermal energy for it to be utilized in the agricultural development and the Agro-industry sector. The fact that geothermal energy demands huge amounts of capital makes it challenging for its development and utilization.
In addition to this, there is are fears that its difficult to build a project that can last more than 10 years, citing the holes that are excavated for these type of projects tend to quickly counter problems.
However, its has been officially reported that studies that helps lessen the danger (problems) are about to be carried out in ‘Dofan and ‘Corabeti’ with the 5 Million USD support from the African Union (AU).
On top of this, the fact that countries like Japan, who have an extensive experience in the discipline, has shown inclinations to get involved in the projects gives an implication that the Ethiopian government commitment to utilize this type of renewable energy alternative can be successful.
The other alternative renewable energy source is sunlight. Famed for its ’13 months of sunshine’, Ethiopia has an immense potential to generate sun energy.
The country has an annual power of 2.1999 million terawatt hour. There are two ways of generating energy from sunlight. The first is called photo-voltaic (PV), which integrates it by changing it to electrical power, while the second follows a method which ignites the turbine by heating the water.
The main focus of the Ethiopian government is to expand electric power into the rural area by developing sunlight energy. So, it encourages nongovernmental organizations to participate.
For instance GIZ, has made an effort to use this alternative energy source in educational institutions and medical centers in North East Ethiopia. Telecommunication and health bodies are some of the institutions that have made an effort to use sunlight as an energy source.
The completion of the GERD or the other huge energy generating project will herald a new era in integration with neighboring countries.
By exporting electrical power to neighboring countries, the completions of these projects will spill over to them. And our country will garner huge foreign exchange reserve which will bestow additional capabilities unto its sustainable economic growth, thereby building a base for our renaissance.
This will facilitate the creation of a stable economy that is based on mutual trust between the region’s countries; and mutual benefit between the people. Our bilateral energy supply agreement with Djibouti and Kenya can be taken as a reference to our healthy relation.
The main objective of the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam is to supply adequate supply of electric power to the industry sector, which is expected to take over as the lead of the economy from the agricultural sector.
In addition to this, the surplus that will residue from the domestic consumption is expected to be used to integrate with other countries. The result of all this will surely contribute its own part in passing an economically and socially developed country to the next generation. Its one of the electrical infrastructures that’s expected to strengthen the economical and regional integration of the Nile riparian countries.
Generally, by generating energy from renewable sources, its possible to gain foreign exchange by driving up surplus energy to the market. On top of this, it will allow Ethiopia to play a leading role in curbing the effects of climate change. And this will put the country’s diplomatic and political relation with countries on higher pedestal. So, considering all this, I think everybody should contribute its own share in order to maintain these impressive achievements.