Ethiopia Surpasses $1 Billion in Electricity Exports

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopia has achieved a significant milestone by earning over $1 billion from the export of electric power to neighboring countries within an 18-month period, up until the end of the 2015 Ethiopian fiscal year. This achievement marks a critical step in the country’s emergence as a regional energy hub. Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Etefa, in an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News Agency, highlighted the performance as evidence of Ethiopia’s growing influence in regional energy integration.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the success can be attributed to the increasing demand for Ethiopian electricity, with annual consumption by importing countries growing by 15 percent. “We are successfully supplying energy to Sudan, Djibouti, and Kenya,” he stated, praising the Ethiopia-Kenya power grid interconnection as a key factor in enabling further exports potentially as far as South Africa through the East African Power Pool. Ethiopia’s reliance on hydropower, which accounts for 93 percent of its electricity, positions it as a leader in providing clean, affordable energy.

Additionally, Habtamu noted significant domestic achievements, including the connection of 4.5 million customers to the electric grid within the last six months. Despite these advances, he acknowledged challenges in reaching the scattered population, with only 52 percent currently having access to electricity. The government is actively pursuing off-grid solutions, such as solar, wind, biogas, and geothermal energy, to address these gaps, particularly in Oromia and the Somali regions.