Ethiopia: Ample Power Generation Potential, Access is the Key
Posted on :Tuesday , 3rd January 2017
The development of electric power is an area in which Ethiopia has registered significant growth over the course of the last two decades. Particularly, the nation could generate huge electric resource from hydro power scheme alone.
As the effort to generate electric power had begun in 1897 with a generator capacity to the national palace, currently Ethiopia could build mega hydro-power projects which have the capacity to generate 6,000 MW in at a time. It is well known that the nation's power development sector has huge potential, higher than the anticipated level.
As studies indicated, the nation has a capacity to generate 50,000 MW from hydro, 1.3 million MW from wind, and 10,000 MW from geothermal energy. It can also generate a huge amount of energy from solar system.
Currently, the nation could generate 4,260 MW electric power. With no doubt, the effort in the production of energy would make possible better outcomes upon the completion and operation of other mega projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Apart from meeting the population and development demand of the nation, it is also credible that such energy production trend would enable the country export power to neighboring countries as well.
Though. there has been marvelous progress in this regard, the distribution of power in major cities of the country has encountered some problems. Delay in renewal of old lines, lengthy institutional reforms are some of the problems observed in the power sector, which deserves added attention in GTP II.
However, power interruption may often surface affecting small and large industries. Its distribution could not yet satisfy the needs of the society. Though the reasons behind the service interruption are not too copious, it may really affect the day to day activities of bakeries, beauty salons, governmental and non-governmental offices, and others engaged in trade and service sectors.
Although the problems are well recognized in the service provider, sustainable solution has not been attached to the problems. Indeed, the Ethiopian Electric Service is making efforts to replace electric poles with new ones.
Apart from meeting the demand, the government has prioritized enhancing the electric sector to contribute for the nation's economic growth.
In GTP II, it is planned to increase the power capacity to 17,000 MW. In addition, the government has also planned to expand additional high electric power transformer lines measured at 11,000-kms over the current 16,000- kms.
Moreover, modernizing and upgrading the standards of other roadside and urban electric lines are some among the plans included in GTP II.
Recognizing such insufficiency, the government need give prime attention for the proper distribution of power produced so far. The Ethiopian Electric Service should also tackle its problems of good governance through delivering appropriate service and maintaining power lines in time.
It is crystal clear that the nation ought to reinvigorate its effort towards cheering beneficiaries, and hastening the journey towards generating potential electric energy.
In addition to carrying out the electric demand of the towns, industrial parks, various industries, factories, among others, the operated power plants would be precocious potential in addressing the nation's rural electrification programmes.
Because, obviously, electricity doesn't only improve the livelihood of urban people but also the rural communities. If the rural people get adequate energy, they may use it for their agricultural and labour practices such as irrigation pumping and producing textile fabrics, respectively. Thus, access to electricity would also help to boost industrialization. The sector must ensure power accessibility in the rural areas as a serious issue so as to boost a balanced economic development and equity.
The nation has unfinished homework in expanding electric energy accessibility so as to maintain the economic development motives. The effort to sustain a rural-based development need to prod the nation to be committed and fulfill the demands of rapid and equitable distribution of power to all its peoples.
In sum, Ethiopia is highly endowed with electric power potential that can be developed from water, solar and geothermal. Owing such potential, the prizewinning task is when the nation invest a great deal to cultivate the energy sources in order to meet the power demand of the people at large.
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