Commonly
referred as ‘African Lion’ by economists, Ethiopia is home of new
infrastructure, booming industry and showpiece summits. If you follow the news on Africa frequently you will
realize that it has become a powerful force in the region and beyond.
Ethiopia
is amongst the most daring signatories to Paris Agreement on climate change and
has committed to cut carbon emissions by 64 per cent by 2030. The government
has invested heavily into mega hydropower projects like Grand Renaissance Dam
and Gibe III Dam. The next target of the country is to be the wind power
capital of Africa.
Breezing Ahead
In
2013 Ethiopia inaugurated one of the largest wind farms in the continent – the
120 MW Ashedoga plant. This was followed by Adama II in 2015 which is even larger.
The East African state is moving ahead with its ambitious development plans to
maintain this golden age and renewable energy is core to its mission.
At
present major power source is hydroelectricity. This picture is set to change
with “Growth and Transformation Plan” by the government which will see the
total output pass the 17,000 MW mark by 2020 and considerably increase the
share from the air.
A 1,000 per cent Increase
The 1,000
per cent increase in wind output is seen with skepticism in few quarters but
there are reasons to believe. The
three factors that are driving Ethiopia to shift to wind are:
·
The
devastating droughts have diminished the value of hydropower.
·
Falling
cost of wind power technology.
·
Ethiopia
is ideal site for harvesting wind.
Ethiopia can be a good showcase for
renewable energy and can show neighboring countries that power can be generated
even with low carbon emissions. Check the latest news for Africa this month to find the latest stories.
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