Ethiopia is soon to be an electricity exporter to its neighbors once three new hydropower projects come online. The country will have an extra 1,155 MW of electricity in 2009 and has plans to sell its surplus to Sudan, Djibouti, and Kenya, according to the head of information at Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO) Sendeku Araya.
"Ethiopia will have excess power for export by 2009 when construction of Tekeze dam with a capacity of 300 MW, Gelligle Gibe II with capacity of 420 MW and Belese dam with a capacity of 435 MW is completed," Sendeku said.
"Installation of a 230-kilovolt transmission line which would enable Ethiopia to export its excess electricity to Sudan was launched this month," Sendeku added.
The country has started work on a $45.2 million transmission line, to export some of the excess electricity to Sudan that is expected to generate $7 million in revenue per month. The transmission line, expected to be complete in less than 18 months, begins in Ethiopia’s Bahr Dar and extends to Sudan’s border.
EEPCO signed agreements with Bosnia‘s Energoinvest for the 230 kv line and Sunir, an Iranian company, to reinforce existing substations in northern Ethiopia, Sendeku said.
A separate power connection project is under discussion under the Nile Basin Initiative. It predicts exports of 1,200 MW and 2,000 MW to Sudan and Egypt, respectively. In addition, a 263 km cable to supply 40 MW to the Red Sea state of Djibouti is already under construction and is expected to cost $62 million.
