Ethiopia hit by short of power, govt blames rain
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
April 8, 2008 (MEKELLE) — High electric demand in Ethiopia left some 1800 towns all over the nation to a minimum 6-hours power cut off each day.
The Ethiopian electric and power corporation (EEPCO) finally has admitted that there is a major power shortage across the nation, after being quiet about it for over a week time.
According to EEPCO General Manager Meseret Debebe lack of expected seasonal ‘Belg’ rain for prolonged time compounded by evaporation of water from dams has left power generating stations crippled from fully operating.
Further moré the ever increasing high power demanding industry, wide investment and the delay in completion of hydropower projects under way has contributed a lot to the power shortage the nation is facing.
To cope up the power shortage EEPCO has planted 21 medium size diesel generators and 5 water pumps across the capital, Addis Ababa.
Additional 24 power generators are also planned to be planted.
Currently, Ethiopia is forced to spend close to 100 million Birr for fuel cost to supplement power.
The current problem could worsen if EEPCO fails to accomplish on time the started maintenance task before approaching summer rains create complications on the major transmission lines.
Ethiopia is executing a tremendous expansion of hydro electric power at Tekeze, Gilgel Gibe, Beles, Windmill, Fincha and Amertineshi. When the expansion projects go functional, Ethiopia will be able to generate a total of 3270MW, which will enable her to export power to foreign nations.
Ethiopia has an initial agreement to export 200 MW to each Djibouti and Sudan and 500 mw to Kenya.
The nation believes the power export in few years will take over coffee , Ethiopia’s biggest export.
FROM ECONOMIC ANGLE
This is for the first time such a sever power shortage to hit the Horn of Africa’s nation.
Yosuf Mohamed Nur, an economist and a researcher at Mekelle University strongly agrees that the power shortage will hit the economic growth Ethiopia has been registering.
“A daily 6-hour power cut off out of the possible 8-hour working time to all productive bodies all over the nation will highly affect the economy of the nation which is highly dependent on the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.
According to Yosuf, it is hard to put in figure the economic decline it could lead at this point
Ethiopia has been registering a consecutive 10% and above economic growth over the past 5 years.
Furthermore the power shortage has brought a new fear in aggravating the already occurred 16 % inflation which PM Meles call it as healthy and expected in relative to the nation’s high and steady economic growth.
“Less production as the result of power shortage will aggravate the current inflation the nation came across unless compensation measures are taken in no time.” Yosuf added.
(ST)