Energy potentials and consumption states in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is endowed with various and diversified renewable energy resources, namely
hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass.Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa
in which energy resources are underexploited.table 1 shows the details about the
energy source and the amount that Ethiopia has manage to access it.The total energy
consumption in Ethiopia is40,000GWh, figure1 shows the usage
distribution.

Chart Title
40000

35000

30000

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

House hold transport sector Indertries

Figure 1 energy usage distribution in Ethiopia

No Source unit Exploitabel Explioted Percentage
exponentials amount exploited in
(%)
Hydro power GW 45 3.18 ~17
Solar/ day kWh/sqm 5.2 - <1
wind GWm/s 1350 0.324 <1
Geothermal GW 7 0.0073 <1
wood Million ton 1120 500 50
Agricultural waste Milion ton 15-20 ~6 30
biogas House holds 1-3 million 17869 <1

Table 1,the amount of energy source that Ethiopia has exploited

 Hydro power potentials
Hydro power has the most used renewable energy source, Ethiopia is one of the countries in sub-
Saharan region. Ethiopia endowed with numerous rivers lakes and ample water resources, however
Ethiopia has managed to generate only 10% of it.table 2 shows details on the the Ethiopia’s
hydroelectric power plant.

No Power plant Date Catchement Dam Installed

deplation of height capacity
area(sq.km) (m) (MW)
1 Genale 3 2020 10445 110 254 -
2 Gilgel gibe3 2016 - 243 1800 65500
3 beles 2010 14200 35 460 1867
4 tekeze 2009 30390 188 300 1393
5 Gibe 2 2009 weir 46.5 420 1635
6 Gibe1 2004 51 41 184 722
7 melkwakena 198 5300 42 153 543
8 finch 1972 170 22.2 134 760
9 finchaamerti 2011 29.5 3 93 -
10 Tis abay1 1953 15300 weir 11.4 33.7
11 Tisabay 2 2001 15300 weir 73 35.9
12 koka 1960 200 23.8 43.2 110
13 Awash2 1965 2.73 weir 10 32 182
14 Awash3 1971 0.63 weir 20 32 192
15 Ground total 4063.3 14.2967

Table 1 hydro power installed power plantes in Ethiopia

 Wind energy potentials
Most wind resources re found close to coastal location, in Ethiopia tigray regional state and
the Easter part of the country are suitable for this renewable energy source. According to
Ethiopia electric power report the total exploitable wind energy potential of the country is
around 1350GW.however despite tremendous potential of this energy system, the
development of wind farm is in its early stages in Ethiopia. Table 4 discussed the upcoming
and installed wind power plants in detail
No Project Generating Annual Energy
capacity(MW) producion (GWH)
1 Adama I WPP 51 157
2 Adama II WPP 153 479
3 Ashegoda WPP 120 450
4 Aysha WPP 300 592
5 Messobo WPP 42 104
6 Asela WPP 100 197
7 Debrebirha WPP 100 197
Grand total 866 2176

Table 4 existing and upcomimg wind power plants in ethiopia

 Solar energy potentials
Ethiopia is one the east African ha s abundance solar energy resources. The national annual
average irradiance of the country is estimated to about 5.2 kWh/msq the solar resource is
relatively lower in the most populaces northern central and western highlands of the
country while the rift valley regions and western and eastern lowlands of the country receive
average irradience (>6klal/m sq/day)
The exploited energy 14MW and the abundance of the resource is not compatible in
Ethiopia 6KWMsq. The first tender to build and own and operates three 100M solar PV
projects ENEL green power (EGP) located in metahar, mekele, humera.125 MW intender to
construct scaling solar gad phased in Somali region and scaling solar ditches phases in afar.
 Geothermal energy potential
Geothermal resources are generally concentrated in the eastern part of Africa, which its
equivalent potential is 15GW. Kenya has tapped its geothermal and installed capacity
700MW.Ethiopia has estimated exploitable geothermal potential around 5000MW and
7.5MW has installed at aluto langano.
 Biomass energy potential
The largest energy sourced and account about 70% of total energy consumption of the
continent
Ethiopia is one of the developing countries in sub sahara Africa with a high level of house
hold energy consumption is primerly satisfied through excessive burning of biomass due to
most of Ethiopian population(83.2%) are in rural areas in which the availability of modern
resources are rare so theres large usage of bio mass energy source details are discussed in
table 5.
No Resource Exploitable potential Currently Exploited
(Million tones per year) (Million tones per year)

1 Woody biomass 74 60
2 Crop residue 38 4.9
3 Dung 29.8 7
4 Grand total 141.8 7.9
Table 5 biomass energy potentials in ethiopia
 Large scale Biomass energy
In Ethiopia large scale biomass power plants currently producing electricity are from biomass
sources like bagasse in sugar factory and dry waste to energy from municipality.until
2018 Ethiopia has capacity to produce 317.5 MW of power by cogeneration in5suger
factory where 225 MW of additional power would be expected to be produced at the
end of 2020 by suger factories under construction.table 6 will show indetail the
installed biomass power plants in Ethiopia.
No Power plants Installed Catagory Commercial Lacation
capacity(MW) operation
date(COD)
1 Reppi waste to 25 Utility 2018 Addis
energy plant ababa

2 Fincha suger 31 Embedded 1998(9,8),2012(31) Fincha

Factory
3 Wonji suger 31.5 Embedded 2013 Adam
factory
4 Omo Kuraz II 60 Embedded 2017 Kuraz
5 Tendaho suger 60 Embedded 2017 Asaita
factory
6 Omo Kuraz III 60 Embedded 2018 Kuraz

7 Tana Beles 30 Embedded 2020 Agew Awi

8 Omo Kuraz I 45 Embedded Uncertain Kuraz

9 Omo Kuraz IV 120 Embedded Uncertain Kuraz

10 Tana Beles II 30 Embedded Uncertain Agew Awi

Grand total 492.5

Table 6 biomass power plants in ethiopia
 Biogas energy potential
The main renewable based alternative to solid biomass for cooking are biogass and solar
cookers
Development and promotion centre (EREDPC)and SNV Ethiopia in 2006 assessed two
scenarios of biogas production potential in Ethiopia with option to benefit about 1.1milllion
3.5 million in four region
Figure 2 biogass potential in 4 regions