- Kenya commences electricity trade with Ethiopia.
- The USD500 million line to Kenya can transmit 2,000 MW of electricity.
The Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has revealed that Kenya recently commenced importing electricity from Ethiopia, receiving 75 MW from the Wolayta-Sodo substation.
EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo revealed that the country is still commissioning the trade, but the process has gone live.
Kiptoo said, “We began power trade with Ethiopia. After the commissioning, our initial imports will be 150 MW and upscale to 300 MW in the next three years.”
The DG noted that the cost of importing electricity from Ethiopia is competitive and lower than the country’s average generation cost.
The USD500 million line to Kenya can transmit 2,000 MW of electricity, potentially earning Ethiopia as much as USD100 million annually.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a giant hydro-power dam on a Nile River tributary, began generating electricity earlier this year, a project Ethiopia sees as key to economic development.
The USD5 billion dam will be able to generate 5,150 MW of electricity once completed in 2024, and Ethiopia has signed supply agreements with Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, Somaliland, Tanzania and South Sudan.