Ethiopia has set an ambitious goal to increase its electricity generation capacity to 13,000 megawatts by 2028, President Taye Atsek Selassie announced.
Speaking at the African Renewable Energy Summit in Tanzania, where former South African President Thabo Mbeki participated in a panel discussion, President Taye highlighted Ethiopia’s commitment to expanding regional access to electricity.
He emphasized that the country is working to boost power generation from renewable sources to meet growing energy demands. Ethiopia is also collaborating with 14 countries on a regional electricity connectivity plan.
Currently, Ethiopia exports electricity to Djibouti, Kenya, and Sudan. The President noted that regional integration in power supply is a priority, with infrastructure projects playing a crucial role. A significant milestone in this effort is the Kenya-Tanzania power transmission line, part of the East African Electricity Highway project, which recently began trial power supply, further strengthening cross-border energy trade in the region.
In related news, Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) said a major infrastructure improvement project aimed at reducing power outages in Addis Ababa and surrounding cities was nearing completion.
The project includes the reconstruction of aging electrical infrastructure, construction of new distribution stations, and other critical upgrades to boost power supply. According to officials, implementation has reached 87.9%, and once fully operational, the improvements are expected to cut previous power outages by more than half.
EEU stated that it had been working to identify and address the causes of frequent power disruptions. The ongoing initiative consists of four projects launched between two and three years ago, aimed at enhancing electricity reliability.
According to EEU, increased electricity demand has contributed to recent power outages. To address this, efforts are focused on reinforcing infrastructure, particularly replacing older wooden pole systems that can no longer support the current demand. Officials remain optimistic that these improvements will provide a more stable and efficient power supply, alleviating frequent disruptions.
Source: Fana BC and Sheger FM 102.1
