Siemens Gamesa has signed its first wind power project in Ethiopia with state-owned electricity company Ethiopian Electric Power, as the country begins to expand its green energy capacity to meet renewable targets.
The 100 MW Assela wind farm will be located between the towns of Adama and Assela, approximately 150 km south of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and will contribute to clean and affordable power for the country’s electricity grid.
The country has set an ambitious target to supply 100% of its domestic energy demand through renewable energy by 2030. According to the African Development Bank, Ethiopia has abundant resources, particularly wind, with a potential 10 GW of installation capacity and having installed 324 MW at present.
According to a Wood Mackenzie forecast, around 2 GW of wind power would be installed in Ethiopia by 2029.
The wind farm will be made up of 29 SG3.4-132 wind turbines and is expected to be commissioned by the start of 2023. The project will generate approximately 300 000 MWh/yr. Siemens Gamesa will provide full engineering, procurement, and turnkey construction.
The Assela wind project will be financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Danida Business Finance, adding to a loan agreement signed between the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation and Danske Bank A/S.
Ethiopia has many renewable resources covering wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, and the country aspires to be a power hub and the battery for the Horn of Africa. The country’s ‘National Electrification Program’, launched in 2017, outlines a plan to reach universal access by 2025 with the help of off-grid solutions for 35% of the population.