Ethiopia is adding more renewable projects to its energy mix as it gears up to develop wind power as one of its top renewable energy sources. The country is planning four new wind farm projects in the coming years. The planned wind farms will add another 524 MW of energy to the country’s power grid.
News of the wind farms was revealed in a booklet during the inauguration of the third wind power project to be commissioned over the last three years, the 153-MW Adama II Wind farm. The projects under study are the 300-MW Aysha wind farm, the 42-MW Mesebo-Harena wind farm, the 100-MW Assela wind farm, and the 100-MW Debre Berhan wind farm.
Alemayehu Tegenu Water, Energy and Irrigation Ministry Minister said the inauguration of the Adama II Wind Farm, is part of the government’s drive for the Growth, Transformation Plan (GTP) to increase production capacity from 2,000 MW to 10,000 MW by 2015.
Ethiopia’s 1,870-MW Gibe III Hydro Dam, which is more than 90% complete is expected to see it’s two out of ten turbines commissioned in the next month. Each turbine has a generating capacity of 187 MW of power.
Alemayehu further stated that the development of wind resources is a perfect energy mix and complements hydro power, as well being part of its power export revenue.
