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Ethiopia Energy Resources
Ethiopia is one of the few African countries with the
potential to produce hydroelectric and geothermal power. As
of mid-1991, however, no comprehensive assessment of this
potential was available, although some estimates indicated
that the total potential could be as much as l43 billion
kilowatts. The main sources of this potential were thought
to be the Abay (Blue Nile; 79.9 billion kilowatts), the
Shebele (2l.6 billion kilowatts), and the Omo (l6.l billion
kilowatts). The remaining 25.9 billion kilowatts would come
from rivers such as the Tekezé, Awash, Baro, Genale, and
Mereb.
Ethiopia's first large hydroelectric generating facilities
were constructed in the Awash River basin. The three plants-
-Awash I (Koka) with 54,000 kilowatts capacity, Awash II
with 32,000 kilowatts capacity, and Awash III with 32,000
kilowatts capacity--were finished between l960 and l972. In
l974 the Fincha River facility in central Welega opened with
a generating capacity of 84,000 kilowatts. Other major
power-generating facilities included those at Bahir Dar
(7,680 kilowatts) and Aba Samuel (6,560 kilowatts). The
total installed capacity of thermal generating units
amounted to 210,084 kilowatts in l985/86.
Electric power production in l985/86 totaled 998.7 million
kilowatt-hours, 83 percent of which was produced by
hydroelectric power installations. Thermal generating units
produced the remaining 17 percent. The thermal generating
units in the public utility system, many of which were
comparatively small, had a generating capacity of 95,635
kilowatts in l985. Major units were located close to Asmera
(3l,900 kilowatts), Dire Dawa (4,500 kilowatts), Addis Ababa
(3,l00 kilowatts), and Aseb (3,l00 kilowatts). In l985/86
various business enterprises and local communities owned
electrical generators of unspecified capacity.
The regional electrical distribution system included an
interconnected system and a self-contained system. By 1988
most power generating sources, including all major
hydroelectric power plants, were interconnected in a power
grid. The interconnected system served more than l00 towns.
Power from the Awash, Fincha, and Aba Samuel stations ran
the central system, the largest component of the
interconnected system. The Bahir Dar interconnected system,
which served parts of Gojam and Gonder, and the Eritrean
Region Electricity Supply Agency (ERESA) were two of the
other major systems. A majority of the self-contained
systems got their power from thermal power plants, with the
power often being used for domestic purposes and to run
small mills.
The Ethiopian Electric Light and Power Authority (ELPA), a
government corporation, operated most of the country's power
systems. Prior to the revolution, ELPA incorporated more
than forty electric power stations and generated about 80
percent of the nation's total electrical output. Two Italian
firms, Società Elettrica dell'Africa Orientale and Compagnia
Nazionale Impresse Elettriche, chiefly serving Eritrea,
produced another l6.5 percent of the country's electrical
energy. Independent stations generated the remaining 3 to 4
percent. In 1975 the government nationalized all private
utility companies and placed them under ELPA. Since then,
utility services have been reserved exclusively to the
state. In l987 ELPA served about l70 towns and produced
about 92 percent of the national electrical output. Mass
organizations, sugar factories, and the Aseb refinery
administered the remaining 8 percent.
In 1985/86, of the total 847.7 million kilowatt-hours of
power sold by ELPA, 59 percent was for industrial use, 29
percent for domestic use, l0 percent for commercial use, and
the remaining 2 percent for other uses such as street
lighting and agriculture. By 1987 about 9 percent of the
total population (4.3 million people) were using
electricity.
Ethiopia's second commercial energy resource is oil.
Despite reports of natural gas reserves and traces of
petroleum, Ethiopia still depends on imported crude oil,
which accounted for an average of about l2 percent of the
value of imports during the period l982/83 to l987/88.
Exploration for petroleum and natural gas in the Ogaden and
the Red Sea basin has been going on for many years. In May
l988, International Petroleum, a subsidiary of Canada's
International Petroleum Corporation (IPC), signed a
production sharing and exploration license for the Denakil
block, which covers 34,000 square kilometers on and off
shore along the Red Sea coast. The IPC also has conducted
geothermal studies and undertaken mapping projects. In late
1990, the government announced that geologists had
discovered oil in western Ilubabor, with an expected deposit
ranging from 100 million to 120 million tons.
Since the early 1970s, there has been exploration and
development of geothermal resources in the Great Rift
Valley. In early 1972, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) conducted preliminary explorations in the
area and detected what appeared to be one of the world's
largest potential sources of geothermal power. In mid-1979
the EEC, assisted by the UNDP, provided a grant to aid
exploration in the valley's lake region. In l984 Ethiopia
reported the discovery of a promising geothermal source in
the Lake Langano area. However, no indication has been
provided as to when production will start. The primary
energy sources for most Ethiopians are charcoal, animal
manure, and firewood. Some estimates indicate that as much
as 96 percent of the country's total energy consumption is
based on these traditional sources.
Data as of 1991
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