Africa-Press – Ethiopia. Ethiopia is leveraging its renewable energy potential to expand electricity supply and interconnect East African and beyond, Water and Energy Minister of Ethiopia Habtamu Itefa underscored.
According to the Minister, Ethiopia is harnessing its renewable resources to position itself as Africa’s energy hub, with plans to extend electricity supply to countries beyond the region.
Ethiopia possesses one of Africa’s largest renewable energy potentials, particularly in hydropower, wind, solar, and geothermal resources.
With an estimated hydropower capacity of over 5,000 MW, Ethiopia has already completed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the largest in Africa.
Currently, Ethiopia exports electricity to Sudan, Djibouti, and Kenya, with plans to expand interconnections to South Sudan, Tanzania, and other African countries.
This strategy is central to Ethiopia’s goal of becoming a regional and continental energy hub, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, driving industrialization at home, and earning foreign exchange through cross-border power trad, it was indicated.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Minister Habtamu said the infrastructure developments that Ethiopia is implementing in terms of energy supply will benefit other countries beyond the region.
He noted that Ethiopia’s abundant water, wind, and solar resources provide vast opportunities for developing, generating, and distributing electricity.
He also highlighted that Ethiopia has significantly expanded its electricity supply since the country’s reform, with notable progress achieved over the past five years.
According to Minister Habtamu, the ongoing energy infrastructure projects will position Ethiopia as a regional leader in electricity connectivity.
He noted that ongoing renewable energy projects, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, are accelerating Ethiopia’s efforts to supply electricity to neighboring countries and beyond.
The minister further emphasized that prioritizing infrastructure development, particularly projects linking Ethiopia with neighboring countries, will create mutual benefits for all parties involved.
He also hoped that supplying electricity to neighboring countries could stimulate their economic growth.
The Minister confirmed that Ethiopia will continue its efforts to enhance regional connectivity through both road and electricity infrastructure.
He expressed hope that supplying electricity to neighboring countries will stimulate their economic growth and confirmed that Ethiopia will continue its efforts to strengthen regional connectivity through both road and electricity infrastructure.
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