After a decade of rapid growth, Ethiopia's bubble is not bursting. Dubbed the 'African Lion' by economists, Ethiopia is the home of booming industry, new infrastructure, and showpiece summits. It has become a powerful force in the region and beyond. To
maintain this golden age, the East African state is pressing ahead with
ambitious development plans, and renewable energy is core to the
mission.
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| Adama Wind Power Project |
Ethiopia was among the most daring signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate change, committing to cut carbon emissions by 64% by 2030. The government has ploughed billions of dollars into hydropower megaprojects such as the Grand Renaissance Dam -- which will be the largest dam in Africa -- and the freshly-inaugurated Gibe III Dam. The next target is to become the wind power capital of Africa.
Ethiopia inaugurated one of the
continent's largest wind farms in 2013 -- the $290 million, 120-megawatt
(MW) Ashedoga plant. This was followed by the even larger 153 MW Adama
II facility in 2015. But wind
accounted for just 324 MW of Ethiopia's total output of 4,180 MW at the
end of 2015, with the vast majority coming from hydropower.
This picture is set to change with the government's second "Growth and Transformation Plan," which will see total output pass 17,000 MW by 2020, and a vastly increased share from the air.
The
government has plans for at least five further wind farms, and
potentially many more, aiming to deliver up to 5,200 megawatts from wind
power within four years. The cost is officially calculated at $3.1
billion, although other estimates place it over $6 billion.
"We
are conducting research and studying the data to see the number of
plants we can connect (to the National Grid)," says Misikir Negash, head
of communications for the Ethiopian Electric Power company. "It is
important to have different energy sources for a reliable system. Wind
is a big focus and we need it."
