Ethiopia

  • Egypt, Hosting COP27, Renews Call for Resolution on GERD Hydro Project

    The world’s largest event centered around climate change is shining a spotlight on one of the most-pressing debates in the Arab world—what to do about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egypt is the host for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27 (Conference of Parties), in Sharm El Sheikh, running Nov. 6-18. […]

  • Ethiopia Produces First Power at GERD Mega-Dam

    Ethiopia began delivering power from a 375-MW turbine at its flagship 5.15-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Feb. 20, marking a significant milestone for the project that could become Africa’s largest hydropower producer. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the project in a celebration broadcast widely in the East African nation on Sunday. Officials […]

  • Ethiopian GERD Mega-Dam Readying to Test Power Production

    Ethiopia is reportedly gearing up to begin testing hydropower generation at its flagship 5.2-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), despite a continued diplomatic row about its potential implications on water consumption on the Blue Nile. Citing unnamed project sources, Capital, a weekly Ethiopian business newspaper, reported this week that work to begin test power generation […]

  • Ethiopia Outlines $40 Billion Plan as GERD Hydro Startup Nears

    Ethiopian officials have said they are moving closer to commissioning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) hydropower installation, part of 71 power projects included in a $40 billion investment package to increase the country’s electricity generation over the next decade. The 5.2-GW GERD project, being built on the Blue Nile River and set to more […]

  • Tensions Intensify as Ethiopia Readies to Start GERD Mega-Dam Turbines

    Despite continued pressure from Egypt and Sudan, Ethiopia will push ahead on the second-year filling of the 6.4-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir this summer with ambitions to begin operating two of its 16 planned turbines later this year.  Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, who also serves as the East African nation’s deputy prime […]

  • Voith equips the Ethiopian hydropower plant Gilgel Gibe II with intelligent solutions

    Contract signed for digital solutions, including OnCare.Asset and OnCall.Video, as well as spare parts and training, in order to assist Ethiopian Electric Power to increase the availability further. Last year, comprehensive service and maintenance contracts for the Gilgel Gibe II hydropower plant were signed at the “G20 Investment Summit.” The hydropower plant makes a major […]

  • Gas-to-Power Emerging as Central to Africa’s Economic, Industrial Future

    The energy industry in Africa is staging a comeback after the pandemic’s significant economic impact over 2020. In 2021 and beyond, according to the Africa Energy Chamber (AEC), the revival will focus heavily on gas for power. While much progress has been achieved in the region’s vast and diverse power space, Africa’s power sector continues […]

  • 12 Big Power Stories You May Have Missed in 2020

    With COVID-19 filling the news throughout 2020, it’s very likely you missed some of the most important developments that occurred in the power sector this year. Here’s a look at some of the highlights and big stories covered by the POWER staff this year. MOX Nuclear Fuel Loaded In January, Russian engineers announced the loading […]

  • Award-Winning Hydropower Project Helps Electrify Ethiopia

    The government of Ethiopia has set a goal of providing access to electricity to all its citizens by 2025. It still has a long way to go, but projects such as the Genale Dawa III hydropower station are helping

  • Rains Complicate Ethiopian Hydro Dam Dispute

    Ethiopia says it had reached a “major common understanding” with Egypt and Sudan related to the first filling and annual operation of the 6.4-GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), paving the way to a “breakthrough agreement” in the contentious dispute that is primarily about use of the River Nile’s waters.   As POWER reported in […]

  • POWER Digest [June 2020]

    SGRE Signs Deal for O&M on Wind Turbines. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has secured a long-term, 20-year contract to provide full-scope operation and maintenance (O&M) services for a 135-MW

  • Is Biomass Dead?

    With subsidies running short and emissions regulations still a challenge, the promise of biomass as a sustainable source for utility-scale power generation remains elusive. Yet, there are novel applications

  • G20 Investment Summit: Voith signs comprehensive service and operations consultancy contract for Ethiopian hydropower plant

    Signing of the contract in attendance of the Federal Minister for Economics and Energy Peter Altmaier and the Minister of Energy of Ethiopia Dr. Seleshi Bekele Stable energy supply as a foundation for further social and economical development Enormous hydropower potential in Ethiopia HEIDENHEIM, Germany. The technology group Voith has signed a comprehensive service and […]

  • POWER Digest [July 2019]

    Taishan-2 EPR Achieves Criticality. A second EPR unit in China’s Guangdong province attained a sustained chain reaction on May 28, marking another major milestone for Framatome, EDF, and China General

  • POWER Digest [February 2018]

    Polish Energy Company Puts Large Coal-Fired Unit Online. Enea , the Polish state-owned energy company, in December inaugurated what it calls the largest coal-fired power generation unit in Europe. The company

  • POWER Digest (April 2017)

    Russia Marks Milestone with Commercial Operation of Third-Generation Reactor. After nearly a decade of construction, the first advanced third-generation VVER-1200 nuclear reactor began commercial operation on

  • TOP PLANT: Gibe III Hydroelectric Project, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Region, Ethiopia

    Owner/operator: Ethiopian Electric Power Corp. Building the 1,870-MW Gibe III hydroelectric project required unprecedented solutions that took into account the remoteness of the site, the narrow gorge where the dam is located, the height of the dam, and challenges in sourcing reliable materials. Split almost diagonally by the East African Rift System, Ethiopia is a […]

  • Ethiopia Begins Generating Power from 1.87-GW Gibe III Hydro Plant

    Ethiopia’s generation capacity got an immense boost as operations began at the 1.87-GW Gibe III hydroelectric power plant in the middle reach of the Omo River basin this October. The plant—Ethiopia’s

  • 10 Energy Takeaways from the U.S.-Africa Summit

    The Aug. 4–6 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit shed light on the power plights faced by sub-Saharan African countries, but it also highlighted their massive power potential and the array of solutions under consideration to resolve Africa’s energy crisis. Here are a number of key insights gleaned from discussions at the summit—the first a U.S. president has […]