Electricity to 24 million

Ethiopia to provide electricity to 24 million within 5 years
Feb 3, 2006, 11:12 GMT

Addis Ababa - The Ethiopia Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), in an ambitious 5-year development plan, is to increase its capacity to 4,000 megawatts (mw), providing electricity to some 24 million people in the country's rural areas, it was announced Friday.
'The national power supply programme now under implementation by the Corporation is a huge programme even at continental level requiring 43 billion birr (496 million dollars) in the coming five years,' EEPCo General Manager Mihret Debebe said in an interview published in the government media.
The programme was being financed by international donors and creditors as well as by the Ethiopian government and the Power Corporation itself, 'with the World Bank among its major supporters,' he said.
He pointed out that several power dams already under construction would be completed within the 5-year plan period of the national power supply programme raising the country's power generation from the present 640 mw.
'The main aim of the programme is to make the national power supply reliable in the coming years,' he said.
Mehret added that with the completion of the various power dams under construction the country would have surplus electric power for export to neighbouring countries, including the Sudan and Djibouti.
The national power supply 5-year programme envisages raising Ethiopia's per capita power consumption from 28 kilowatts at present to 560 kilowatts.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur Addis Ababa - The Ethiopia Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), in an ambitious 5-year development plan, is to increase its capacity to 4,000 megawatts (mw), providing electricity to some 24 million people in the country's rural areas, it was announced Friday.
'The national power supply programme now under implementation by the Corporation is a huge programme even at continental level requiring 43 billion birr (496 million dollars) in the coming five years,' EEPCo General Manager Mihret Debebe said in an interview published in the government media.
The programme was being financed by international donors and creditors as well as by the Ethiopian government and the Power Corporation itself, 'with the World Bank among its major supporters,' he said.
He pointed out that several power dams already under construction would be completed within the 5-year plan period of the national power supply programme raising the country's power generation from the present 640 mw.
'The main aim of the programme is to make the national power supply reliable in the coming years,' he said.
Mehret added that with the completion of the various power dams under construction the country would have surplus electric power for export to neighbouring countries, including the Sudan and Djibouti.
The national power supply 5-year programme envisages raising Ethiopia's per capita power consumption from 28 kilowatts at present to 560 kilowatts.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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