Ethiopia plans to build 105 small dams in GTP-II

Addis Ababa, January 11, 2016 (FBC) – The Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity has disclosed that additional efforts are underway to harness small rivers to ensure more access to hydropower in rural localities.
At national level, the ministry has planned to carry out 105 small dam construction projects on small rivers within five years.

Project implementation sites have already been identified in Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’, Gambella, Amhara and Benishangual-Gumuz regional states.

The latest rural electrification plan takes into consideration the country’s topography which is well suited for hydropower projects on small rivers.

Bizuneh Tolcha, Public Relations Director at the Ministry told ENA that the projects target off-grid areas throughout the country.

He said the projects play additional role by supplying cost efficient power, expand small industries and irrigation development schemes.

The ministry says it has finalized feasibility studies in five selected sites with potentials of up to 11 megawatts in which private investors are encouraged to involve.

In GTP-1, the ministry managed to provide hydropower from small river dams to around 300 thousand inhabitants of Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s states.

Overall, 27 dams were built over small rivers in the reported period with the involvement of a range of stakeholders, he said.

Through the abundant supply of such clean energy, the ministry plans to protect deforestation, according to Bizuneh.

German Development Cooperation (GIZ) has been engaged in the field to facilitate knowledge and technology exchange.

GIZ’s partnership with the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity will continue in GTP-2 based on agreed plans to exploit power potentials of small rivers.

More than 465 households, 96 businesses and 40 social institutions have so far benefited from GIZ implemented four micro hydropower plants in Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s regional states.

Ethiopia is endowed with many small rivers that are convenient for development of small and micro-hydropower generation, according to the ministry.

The country boasts enormous potential to generate electric power from small rivers with 5,000 such sites have already been identified.