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Siemens Gamesa has started on-site work on the 100MW Assela wind power project.
- The project is being implemented by the Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), with financing being provided by the AfDB, Danske Bank and the Danida Business Fund.
- The project is expected to be completed by H1 2023.
The world’s foremost wind turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has launched the construction of the 100MW Assela wind farm in Ethiopia. The company announced recently that it has begun on-site work at the location close to the city of Iteya in Oromia State. Siemens Gamesa says it will install 29 of its SG 3.4-132 turbines.
The total capacity of the 29 wind turbines, when completed, will be 100MW. Completion of the project is scheduled for the first half of 2023. the project is expected to power around 400,000 thousand homes with average energy generation of 300,000 MWh annually. The project is being developed by the national utility company Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) with Siemens Gamesa handling the Engineering Procurement and Construction. The National utility company estimates that the project will help reduce CO2 emission by 260,000 tonnes yearly.
Financing for the project is provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB), which will provide €10 million for constructing a substation to evacuate the generated power. Denmark’s premier bank, Danske, will lend €117.3 million for the project implementation and the Danida Business Fund (DBF), will provide the Government of Ethiopia with a €28.7 million grant.
According to Siemens Gamesa, the company is poised to help Ethiopia achieve its target of supplying 100 per cent of its domestic energy needs from clean energy sources by 2030. The company noted that the AfDB had highlighted Ethiopia’s plentiful resources, including wind generation capacity of 10GW. However, only 324MW have been actualised so far.