Ethiopia Announces Largest Wind Farm in Africa
by Jorge Chapa
When faced with the need to develop additional sources of energy, the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation recently decided that its best option was not to build conventional power plants. Instead, the electricity provider opted to fulfill its energy needs by building Africa’s largest wind farm! The 120 megawatt Ashegoba plant in north Ethiopea will provide for 15 percent of the nation’s present energy capacity.
Up until now Ethiopia has relied upon hydroelectric dams as an important energy source, although recently this strategy has been crippled by severe droughts that strain the country’s energy grid to the point of collapse. EEPC chairman Meheret Debebe has stated that the new wind power project “will help us to fill the gap of hydrological risks we are facing in Ethiopia with the droughts”.
The cost for the project will be 220 million euros, and it is expected to hit a peak production of over 120 megawatts when it is finished in about two and a half years. Africa’s investment in the green revolution will ensure that the continent stands well poised to tackle future challenges, and this is a great first step.
+ Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation
Via Google News
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This is wonderful news. And really puts us Westerners to shame. When developing/Third World nations can embrace green technology so wholeheartedly we really should hang our heads in shame. When greed and selfishness stop us adopting green lifestyles, destroying the world, while poor nations struggle to address global issues like this, it really does make you question which is the truly ‘developed’ nation and which still living in the dark ages.
Its wonderful to see that a country like Ethiopia, a country only really ever seen in the media for people dying of starvation, is so forward-thinking that wind farms are such a priority. And the biggest in Africa, too. That’s quite a coup. 15% is an incredible statistic too. Sadly, I imagine that’s because so much of the coutry is still so poor that the energy demands are extremely low. In humanitarian terms, that’s awful; in environmental terms, it’s quite hopeful - Ethiopia is setting out in the right so let’s hope its future energy demands will be addressed in a similar manner.
If only this could be a kick in the pants to us ‘developed’ nations and make us put our houses in order.
Steve N. Lee
author of eco-blog http://www.lionsledbysheep.com
and suspense thriller ‘What if…?’ http://www.steve-n-lee.com