Ethio-Kenya Electricity Highway Project Launches
The Ethio-Kenya Electricity Highway Project workshop, which is the first phase of the east African Power Integration Regional program, was officially launched in a ceremony held at Hilton Hotel here in Addis Ababa on May 14,2013.
Mr. AlemaYehu Tegenu, Minister of Water and Energy launching the program stated that the project is an important move towards the development of the regional power pool. In due course of time also, Miheret Debebe, CEO of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO) pointed out that construction of the 500KV transmission line links the national grids of the two countries. He went on to say that the program would alleviate the bottleneck problem for the exchange of electric power between the two countries.
High-ranking officials from Ethiopia and Kenya, representatives of the World Bank and African Development Bank (AFDB) attended the ceremony.
Mr. Lamin Barrow, representative of AFDP, emphasizing the importance of the project as the backbone of the East African Regional transmission network, declared the commitment of the bank to support the interconnection progam. Likewise, Mr. Guang Z.Chen, representative of the World Bank, expressed the bankĄ¯s readiness to provide the necessary support for the successful implementation of the project.
The project feasibility study completed in 2009 and more than 212 million people will be benefited. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2016 at a total cost of 1.3 billion USD. African Development Bank (ADP) and World Bank (WB) approved the loan.
Gibe III over 69 per cent complete
The Gibe III hydroelectric project, with has 1,870 MW installed power generation capacity, could start generating power next year.
The dam, situated along the lower course of the Omo River, some 155 km downstream Gilgel Gibe II Powerhouse , is currently 69.4 per cent complete.
Gibe III Project Manager Azeb Asnake said:“We will undertake dry commissioning [testing without using water] of the dam this year .We expects the dam to start generating power next year when the water reaches a certain level to generate power.]”
Preparatory works such as research design as well as the construction of over 150 kms access roads and river diversion by digging three tunnels has been carried out. Main activities of the dam have commenced and it has now reached 52 meters high.
When it goes operational, Gibe III with a height of 246 meters will be the tallest Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) dam in the world.RCC is known to be a cost-and time - efficient construction method of concrete dams. Gibe III is the first RCC dam in Ethiopia.
Source - The Ethiopian Herald,
March 23, 2013
EEPCO will generate Power from the City Waste
State power utility awarded a 120 million dollar contract, to Cambridge Industries Energy - a British-based waste management company, UK company, to generate 50Mw of power out of the refuse, which Addis Abeba has accumulated for half a century at Repi, commonly known as Koshe.
The contract was signed on Friday, January 5, 2013, in the presence of Greg Horey, Ambassador of The United Kingdom and North Ireland to Ethiopia, Alemayehu Tegenu, minister of Water & Energy (MoWE), Dr Debretsion Gebremicheal, minister of Communication & Information Technology (MCIT), under the rank of deputy prime minister, and Neway Gebreab, chief economic advisor to the prime minister.
The project will be finalized after one and a half years, according to the contract and will be financed by the Ethiopian government. The company is considering Mesfin Industrial Engineering, to erect the plant and its electro mechanical works, according to Samuel.
Samuel, of Cambridge, states that power from waste, on the other hand, is dependent on the existence of humans, he argues further. Waste will always be available as long as human beings exist.
The city administration has granted seven hectares of land for the placement of Cambridge’s power generation plant. To process the targeted power, the plant will be using around 350,000tns of solid waste, collected from Addis Abeba. This is only one third of the city’s total waste.
EEPCO has a plan to increase its generation to 10,000Mw in 2014/15.
