Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 3, 2017 – Ethiopia is undertaking feasibility studies to export electricity to South Sudan and Somaliland.
Bizuneh Tolcha, Public Relations and Communications Director at Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity said on Wednesday the plan is part of integrating the East African region through economic means including electricity.
The civil war in South Sudan and Somaliland’s lack of international recognition has so far hampered efforts at economic integration with Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation.
Ethiopia already sells 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Sudan and around 80MW to Djibouti.
It’s also constructing part of the 1,045 km Ethio-Kenya electricity transmission line which when completed will have the ability to carry 2,000 MW from Ethiopia to Kenya. The project is being undertaken by the China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Company and is expected to be partially ready by the end of 2017.