Ethiopia-China cooperation in power sector

Ethiopia-China cooperation in power sector registers remarkable achievement
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/727302.shtml
Xinhua
2012-8-16

The cooperation between Ethiopia and China in the power sector has
registered remarkable achievements in hydro and wind power construction
projects, said Alemayehu Tegenu, Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy.

The minister made the remarks at the Handover Ceremony of Publication of
Wind Power & Solar Energy Master Plan and also Signing Ceremony of the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Hydropower Potential General
Survey of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, the country's capital.

The study of Wind and Solar Master Plan was conducted and delivered to
Ethiopia by Hydro-China Corporation (HYDROCHINA) with the financial
support from the Chinese government.

The Hydro-China Corporation and the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and
Energy also signed a MoU for the study on hydropower potential of Ethiopia.

"Today, we have seen together a real and fruitful cooperation between
Ethiopia and China, which has paved the way for us to develop our wind
and solar resources," said Alemayehu.

He also commended the Chinese government for the financial support and
hailed Hydro-China Corporation for its excellent performance.

"As you have witnessed, today we all have aware that our country has a
potential installed capacity of over 1.3 million MW from wind resource
and an annual total solar energy reserve of over 2 million TW.h, through
the study of Wind and Solar Master Plan of our country, conducted and
delivered to us by Hydro-China Corporation with the financial support of
the Government of China, " said the minister.

The minister said, "The study indicated that Ethiopia owns very rich
wind and solar energy resources that can be exploited as renewable
energy mix in the coming decades to implement the recently issued
Climate-Resilient Green Economy strategy with respect to energy
development," said the minister.

"I would like to sincerely thank the Chinese government, who has
rendered economic aid gratuitously for the study and appreciate the
excellent work performed by Hydro-China Corporation in the realization
of the country's grid connected wind and solar master plan document,
which will enable us to take informed decision in the development of our
wind and solar resources in the future," he said.

Reiterating that China and Ethiopia enjoy long-standing friendly
relations, Wei Hongtian, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in
Ethiopia, said China would continue to render various assistance and
support to Ethiopia.

Wei said the Chinese government attaches great importance to the
Ethio-China cooperation on renewable energy sector, in which the Adama
Wind Power Station is a new achievement.

He also expressed firm belief that the cooperation between the two
countries in clean and renewable energy development would have broader
and brighter prospect.

"The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC) has just concluded in China last month. The Beijing
Action Plan (2013-15) of the Conference declares that China and Africa
will further actively advance cooperation in clean energy and renewable
resources projects in keeping with the principles of mutual benefit and
sustainable development. I am sure the cooperation between China and
Ethiopia in this sector will have broader and brighter prospect," said Wei.

Wang Bin, President of Hydro-China Corporation, expressed his company's
commitment to Ethiopia's wind power and renewable energy development.

"As the leading organization in the field of wind power development, we
have successfully constructed Adama Wind Power Project with Ethiopia
Electric Power Corporation," said Wang.

"Besides, HYDROCHINA are willing to share its achievements and
experience with the Ethiopian government and people, not only in the
construction of Adama wind power project, but also in proposed Adama
wind power project, which will be supported by concessional loan of the
Chinese government and Ethiopian government," Wang said.

"HYDROCHINA commits himself for long term development with investment in
large construction machinery, which will improve the equipment status
and construction capability of Ethiopia. We also plans to invest in
manufacturing of Blades and Towers in Ethiopia, which will rapidly
forming the production capability and promote the develop wind power
industry and accelerate industrialization," he said.

He also said HYDROCHINA will contribute more on specification and
standard of wind power development and construction of Ethiopian
renewable energy field, enhance the friendship of the two nations and
cope with the climate change together.

To expedite the development of the country's renewable energy resources
and to increase the energy mix, the Ethiopian government entered into an
agreement with the Chinese government to undertake the country's wind
and solar energy resource assessment Master Plan in 2010, recalled
Minister Alemayehu.

On February 22, 2011, HYDROCHINA formally entrusted Hydro-China
International to organize and manage the Master Plan, and Beijing
Engineering Corporation undertook the implementation and design of the
Master Plan, he said.

Alemayehu said the current total installed electricity generation
capacity of Ethiopia has reached 2,178 MW from its baseline level of 800
MW only three years ago.

"The delivery of an adequate electricity service is essential to fulfill
the high growth rate of electricity demand the generation capacity will
increase to 10,000 MW at the end of Growth and Transformation Plan
(2010/11-2014/15), thus meeting the existing high rate of growth of
electricity demand in Ethiopia and also allowing the export of the
surplus power to the region," he said.

To this end, the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
project, which has 6,000 MW installed capacity, is going on at a rapid
pace according to the schedule. At present more than 10.5 percent of the
project work is completed, said the minister.
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