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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Oct 28 2010 - 11:28:36 EDT
Ethiopia: Power sector faces uncertainty
<http://www.afrik-news.com/archives-2010-10.html> Thursday 28 October 2010
/ by <http://www.afrik-news.com/writer1398.html> Desalegn Sisay /
<http://www.afrik-news.com/opinions18409.html> 1 opinion
The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) has again announced a power
rationing program and ordered industries to cut their production.
Miheret Debebe, CEO of EEPCo, explained that latest power rationing, unlike
the previous, is not as a result of power shortage but due to the restricted
load capacity of transmission lines and delayed expansion work of new
transmission lines.
According to him the power demand has had a steady growth of 24 percent a
year, and although the corporation has the capacity to supply ample electric
power for the country, "the current transmission line's electric load
capacity" has contributed to the problem of "power interruption, mainly
during peak hours".
Mr. Debebe said that the rehabilitation of the new transmission line is
being undertaken. The new electricity transmission system improvement
project is being supported by the World Bank.
The CEO also argues that power supply has been affected in part due to
technical problems. EEPCo is currently producing only about 1300 megawatt of
power from dams operating in the country and is short of the 700 MW needed
to reach its total capacity of 2000MW.
The recently inaugurated Gilgel Gibe II Hydro Power Plant with a capacity of
420 megawatt has been nonoperational following its collapse shortly after
its inauguration. One of the effective power stations, Gilgel Gibe I is only
producing half of its total 180 megawatt capacity, due to a transformer
collapse. Tekeze Hydro Power Plant, another new power station with a 300
megawatt capacity and is generating only about 70 megawatt.
Meanwhile, Tana Belese, the biggest hydro power station in Ethiopia, with a
460 megawatt capacity, has been fully operational. But as its 400 kilovolt
transmission installation work from Bahir Dar to the central part of the
country has not been finalized, power supply from Tana is transmitted on
limited kilovolt transmission lines and has a high wastage, sources at the
EEPCo have revealed.
Last week, October 21, 2010 EEPCo sent an official letter to factories to
halt their production between 6 and 10 pm to avoid power outages during peak
hours. Nonetheless, most residents continue to experience power cuts without
any prior notice on daily basis.
And although Ethiopians are hoping that the finalization of the Tana Belese
transmission line work and renovation of Gilgel Gibe II brings them the
needed solution, it is unknown when the problem will be duly tackled.
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