Africa at the Energy Crossroads: Ethiopia Launches 6 Wind, 1 Geothermal Power Project

November 26th, 2011 by Andrew

Ethiopia isn’t a country that comes up often when discussing renewable energy, but the Ethiopian Electric Power Coroporation (EEPCO) this past week announced it’s starting construction of six wind power projects and one geothermal power plant. In total, electricity generation capacity for the renewable energy projects totals more than one gigawatt (1 GW), Ethtiopian news service NewsDire reported.

The renewable energy projects are part of EEPCO’s plans to increase national electricity generation capacity five times by 2015, from a current 2000 megawatts (MW) to about 10,000 MW. Increasing electricity generation, in turn, is key to the government’s broader economic development plans.

Emerging Renewable Energy Powerhouse

Ethiopia’s considers itself a “powerhouse of Africa.” Comprising three climate zones, it ranks second in Africa in terms of hydropower potential, after the Democratic Republic of Congo, and exports significant amounts of electricity to its East African neighbors. Ethiopia’s Water and Energy Minister in March announced a plan to add 5,250 MW of electricity generating capacity by building the Grand Millennium Dam of Ethiopia, which would dam the Nile River near the border with Sudan.

EEPCO views wind power as a clean energy complement to its hydropower generating capacity. Ethiopia has substantial wind power resources. Wind power potential in the East African country totals some 10,000 MW, EEPCO has estimated, which has noted that wind energy is higher in the dry season, when hydropower resources are at their lowest.

The six wind power projects announced this past week include the 300 MW Aysha Wind Farm near the Djibouti border, the 100 MW Debre Birhan Wind Farm north of Addis Ababa, the 100 MW Assela Wind Power Project southeast of the capital, and the 153 MW Adama II Wind Power Project. Also slated to start construction are the 250 MW Galema I Wind Power project and the 42 MW Mesebo Harena Wind Farm.

Ethiopia’s electric utility also intends to start construction of the 70 MW Aluto Langano Geo Thermal project. Rich in geothermal resources, the East African Rift Zone runs through eastern Ethiopia, though the country has thus far been much less active in exploiting it than has neighboring Kenya, which in September announced its intention to generate 30% of its electricity needs from geothermal resources by 2030.

Wind Power Project Development

The wind farm projects will be built and come on-line in phases in partnership with a mix of international companies.

Initial power production from the 300 MW Aysha Wind Farm Project is expected this year, with the first 60MW and full production expected by November 2012. In June, German finance company, Deutsche Unternehmensfinanzierung, announced it would raise $120 million to finance construction of the first 60 MW of capacity, made up of 60 wind turbines.

In addition to the launch of these projects, EEPCO announced that the first 30 MW of the 120 MW Ashegoda Wind Power Plant was brought on-line. The project’s being built by France’s Vergniet S.E.

In mid-July, a Chinese joint venture comprising CGCOC and Hydro China, with financing provided by the Export-Import Bank of China and consulting services being provided Addis Ababa University Technology faculty, began construction of the 51 MW Adama I wind farm. Located about 95 kilometers (km) east of the capital, an initial 15 MW is due to come on-line by the end of the year, according to NewsDire’s report.

* Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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Tags: Africa, Africa geothermal power, africa renewable energy, Africa wind power, Aysha wind farm, Economic Development, EEPCO, Ethiopia geothermal, Ethiopia renewable energy, Ethiopia wind power, geothermal power, green energy

About the Author

Andrew I've been reporting and writing on a wide range of topics at the nexus of economics, technology, ecology/environment and society for some five years now. Whether in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa or the Middle East, issues related to these broad topical areas pose tremendous opportunities, as well as challenges, and define the quality of our lives, as well as our relationship to the natural environment.

Clare

Apparently everyone was so busy growling about the photo that they didn’t read the article closely enough to notice this confusing bit: “42 MW Mesebo Harena Wind Farm and the 42 MW Mesebo Harena Wind Farm”. It looks to me like it looks to me like something’s been something’s been duplicated duplicated.
- http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  haha, thanks
Samoa

Ethiopia is catching up with you the west before you know it whether you like it or not. Wherever power is generated it is to enter the national grid. Second we have no time to lingere about our past that is changing and will soon change to the best. We have the resources we only need good governance and fair political platform and decent alternative parties that are not the messengers those who would like to continue to profit from our internal ploitical turmoil.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA!
Samoa
- Anonymous
  
  Why would ‘the west’ be upset about Ethiopia ‘catching up’?
  
  Is quality of life some sort of contest?
- Anonymous
  
  I think we’re all for Ethiopia advancing! Seems you have a sort of confused perspective on what Americans (or the West) wants for Ethiopia.
Fitawrari

No doubt that the picture is beautiful… But the world needs to see that Ethiopia is rising to be one of the fastest growing third world country. Now is not the time to show the world pictures of a village. It’s time for CHANGE. Enough said.
keneni

@Dawit all the five projects are on the right places but the tigre`s is not? what a kinategna amelekaket new? kinatin yigedlehal
Anonymous

regarding the photo:

When I try to find a photo to feature in an article, I try to find the most beautiful photo related to the location or project that I can. This one above is completely beautiful to me and I would have used it without a doubt if i ran across it. I don’t know where the people complaining about the photo live, but I think the large majority of people in the U.S. (where I’m from) and Europe (where I now live) would look at that and think, “Oh my gosh, what a beautiful place.”

Perhaps, as Bob says, people complaining about it are more into and proud of large, polluted, ‘modern’ cities, but that’s not generally what thrills people from the overdeveloped West.
Dawit

The larget wind or renewable enegy construction is being built in Tigre costing over 300 million Euros. The question is the allocation of meager resources. The project in Tigre and others are costly and not the cheapest way to provide energy. Such projects are not even vialble. The per killowat cost of renergy for wind power is 4 times more than customery source of energy, oil and almost twice the cost of hydro-electric power.

I suspect, the regime is building the plant at such price in Tigre to keep its plan of creating an indepedent, east African economic tiger, Tigre at any cost. While the cost for the other is financed through loans, the one in Tigre is built by domestic tax funds.

I also suspect the wind power projects being done to enrich someone, not necessarily to benefit the people of Ethiopia. Something is awry in these schemes, I hope someone gets to the bottom of it.

The building the Tekeze hydroelectric plant, the new super wind plant in Tigre show that TPLF is not cost sensitive when it comes of building projects in Tigre, beause it is not their money and they don’t core robbing the rest of Ethiopia. The sad story is that such racist endeavors never succeed and only impverishes all Ethiopioans and plants the seeds of hate and hard feeling.
- Anonymous
  
  Ethiopia has very good wind resources. The wind tends to blow harder in the evening when demand for electricity is highest. It also blows harder during the dry season when hydro resources are stretched.
  
  Wind and hydro work very well together. When the wind is blowing hydro can be curtailed, saving water for when the wind alone is not enough.
  
  With solar prices dropping so rapidly we should see a third clean energy source taking its place on Ethiopia’s grid.
  
  Why would anyone want to spend Ethiopia’s money on coal plants which will only accelerate the country’s climatic problems?
Anonymous

I travel overseas a bit and love to take pictures of “non-modern” life. I like capturing what little natural traditional life is left. (As opposed to the theme park recreated traditional stuff.)

I had been posting some of my shots of India, people in traditional clothing, vegetable markets in small towns, that sort of stuff. I had someone make a similar complaint “Why are you showing all this old stuff and making India look bad? Show our progress.”

My reply was that modern buildings and young guys in jeans don’t interest me. I can stay home and take those sort of pictures. But I did get their point. They want the world to realize that they are modernizing.
Ethiolove

Once again, as expected disrespectful pictures towards Africa in the Western media. How about educational photos than discouraging the western to understand and encouraging Africa. Go and check WHAT the Chinese media showing and talking about Africa to its people. Its all about public relationship. I wonder why lots of Chinese are quickly establishing quick understanding and respect to each others reality for mutual benefit. The sad thing is that this comes from the so-called ‘freelance reporter”. Well, we don’t need anymore these freelance reporter. Anyone can google map or earth it. Or, Wiki even better. Cheers.
- Akbweb2
  
  I’m curious as to how you can possibly say this photo is “disrespectful of Africa”?
  
  It’s a beautiful photo…
  
  You wouldn’t be Chinese by any chance?
- Akbweb2
  
  Yes, the state-sponsored, state-supported, censored Chinese media…tell me more please about how we don’t need independent freelance reporters and journalists?
  
  What would you possibly know about what it’s like to be one?
- Akbweb2
  
  How is it that a simple, straightforward blog news post, and good news at that, prompts such a strong, negative reaction in you?
  
  I might, and will, add that it would be very sorry days indeed if Ethiopia winds up like China — incredibly polluted rivers, lakes, ocean, air and land, millions upon millions piled on top of one another, living cheek by jowl in urban megacities…
  
  And do you mean to tell us that Chinese journalists don’t use the Internet in the course of doing their jobs? Oh, that’s right, the Internet’s censored in China and they couldn’t publish anything critical of the government or the country in any case…
Anonymous

Geothermal is also being installed in Kenya . There it is expected that geothermal will supply about 50% of the country’s electricity.

Kenya is pursuing geothermal because they are worried about future droughts cutting into their hydroelectric sources.
Anonymous

Geez – If we’re going to complain about the picture, I’m going to complain that it is overexposed.

The highlights are blown.
Yoniii

It’s unfortunate that western media constantly keep pushing this image of Africa. A more fitting picture would for example be from the construction site of the hydro-electric dam, Gibe III, which will produce over 1800 MW of electricity by 2013.
- Akbweb2
  
  What, preserving something of a natural environment is a bad thing? Pictures of such are bad things?
  
  These comments indicate an insecurity I’d say…
Hliillili

Why would they show a picture of some village when there are so many rapidly growing modern cities around Ethiopia?
- Moal
  
  That village looks much more pretty than the over corwded Ethiopian cities.
- Akbweb2
  
  Perhaps you don’t value the beauty of rural scenes…
  
  It is something that many Americans still appreciate, however, as well as many people all around the world…
  
  It’s a beautiful photo of Ethiopia, and it is Ethiopia, at least one part of it…and that’s nothing to be ashamed of…
Anumakonda Jagadeesh

Good to know about Wind Projects in Ethiopia.

Somalia has one of the best wind regimes in the world and so is Argentina. It is hoped global agencies will help to start projects in Renewables especially wind in these countries.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
Wind Energy Expert
E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com