Ethiopia completes 420 MW hydropower plant

January 11, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia will officially inaugurate a newly constructed hydro power plant, Gillgel Gibe II, sister project of Gibe I, next week, said the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) today.

Constructed at a cost of 373 million Euros, the 420 MW electric power generating Gibe II will be the biggest power plants ever constructed by Ethiopia.

The new power plant, which is a continuation of Gibe I uses water from Gibe I to the Omo river to exploit the large altitude difference between the two Gibes.

According to EEPCo, the actual completion of Gillgel Gibe II was delayed by 20 months due some natural difficulties encountered up on drilling the 26 Kilometers-long tunnel.

Construction of Gibe II was launched in 2005 by an Italian company, Salini Construttori, the same company which took the contracts for the construction of three power projects laying along the Omo River valley.

Some 2,100 Ethiopians and experts from 30 countries have taken part during the 5-year construction period.

The new power plant will increase the generating capacity of Ethiopia by 30%.

As mentioned above the total cost for the Gilgel Gibe II hydro power plant is 373 million Euros. , the 220 million Euros was funded as soft loan from Italy and the rest was covered by the Ethiopian government and the European Investment Bank.

Two months ago Ethiopia inaugurated Tekeze, and now Gilgel Gibe II.A third one, Beles will go operational in the first quarter of 2010, securing Ethiopia’s power demands.

It is historic for Ethiopia to open three new hydropower plants in less than a year, says CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power Company Meheret Debebe

Italian Foreign minister- led delegation is due to arrive in Ethiopia on Wednesday to be at the inauguration ceremony Gibe II, embassy in Addis said Tuesday.

(ST)