Ethiopia begins test running power supply to Sudan

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Ethiopia begins test running power supply to Sudan

Tigrai Online, August 09, 2012

Ethiopia has started a test run of electricity supply to neighbouring Sudan.

Ethiopia built 230 kilovolt 296 kilometre-long transmission line to the border of Sudan.

Ethiopia built the 230 kilovolt transmission line at cost of $41 million usd. It is 296 kilometre-long and stretches from Ethiopia's border to Sudan it.

Ethiopia has started a test run of electricity supply to neighbouring Sudan, as it moves to set up a permanent power export to its neighbour.

Officials at the Ethiopian Electric and Power Corporation (EEPCo.) confirmed that the power supply testing started this week following the completion of the Ethiopia-Sudan Transmission Line, set up at a cost of US$41 million.

The 230 kilovolt transmission line is 296 kilometre-long and stretches from Ethiopia's border to Sudan.

Initially, officials say, Sudan will be provided with 100 megawatts of electricity as Ethiopia embarks on the test run.

The two countries signed a power supply agreements a few years back.

The World Bank financed the project with ENEGROINVEST constructing the transmission line and SUNIR International engaged as a substation contractor.

European firms HIFABOY and FITCHER served as project consultants until the end of December 2010, with the Transmission and Engineering Office of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation taking over consulting and supervision as of 2011.

The transmission lines in Ethiopia have three sections, Bahir Dar-Gondar (137.2Km), Gondar-Shehedie (122Km) and Shehedie-Metema (37Km). The final section has been connected with a transmission line in Sudanese city of Gedaref.

Ethiopia's power utility EEPCo says the Ethio-Sudan Transmission Line Project is expected to further develop the East African Power Pool which encompasses power interconnection projects between Ethiopia-Kenya, Tanzania-Zambia-Kenya-Uganda and Ethiopia-Sudan-Egypt.

The Horn of Africa country is targeting production capacity of 10,000 MW of power in the coming four years.

Ethiopia has embarked on constructing a 6,000 megawatt hydro electricity generation project on the Nile, believed to be the biggest in Africa.

The dam is expected to start generating power within the next two years.

Ethiopia has already started supplying power to neighbouring Djibouti, while exports to Kenya are expected to start soon, as the Horn of Africa country seeks to fulfil its dream as a continental powerhouse in electricity generation.

Source: Bikya Masr