The Ethiopian Government plans to Export Electricity to Tanzania via Kenya

Posted on : Thursday , 5th December 2024

Ethiopia intends to export 100 megawatts of electricity to Tanzania via Kenya as part of an expanding push to trade electricity across international borders. Following agreements that make it easier to transmit power across the three countries, Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) announced the action.

 

Moges Mekonnen, Director of EEP Communications, said that ongoing negotiations could change the ultimate amount of electricity to be exported. Regulatory approval is pending for a signed agreement between Tanzania and Kenya that would allow transmission via Kenya's high-voltage lines.

 

John Mativo, CEO of he Kenya Electricity Transmission Company, announced that power produced in Ethiopia's southern Sodo region will go via Suswa, Kenya, before arriving in Arusha, Tanzania. Future expansion of energy exports may be supported by the 2,000 megawatt transmission line currently in place to Kenya.

 

Large dams like the Grand Renaissance Dam over the Blue Nile have supported Ethiopia's hydropower industry, which has allowed the country to meet its energy needs while generating foreign exchange. 200 megawatts of Ethiopian hydropower were first imported by Kenya in 2022.

 

Ethiopia achieved 91.8% of its income objective in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, earning USD 31.5 million from the export of 497.8 gigawatt hours of power to Djibouti, Sudan, and Kenya, according to EEP.