By: Wegayehu Muluneh

Ethiopia generated more than 118.1 million USD in revenue from electric power exports to neighboring countries during the 2017 Ethiopian fiscal year, according to Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP).

Moges Mekonnen, Director of Communications at EEP, told Fana Digital that Ethiopia is working diligently to further strengthen its electric power interconnection with neighboring nations.

During the concluded fiscal year, Ethiopia intensified efforts in power generation and began expanding electricity supply to external markets. Currently, the country exports electricity to Kenya, Djibouti, Sudan, and Tanzania.

In 2017 E.C fiscal year alone, Ethiopia planned to generate over 25,000 gigawatt hours of electricity and managed to produce more than 29,000 gigawatt hours.

From the total power generated, electricity exported to Kenya alone the country earned 86.3 million USD, with 85.2 million USD worth of power sold.

Similarly, sales to Djibouti and Sudan brought in 30.9 million USD and 900,000 USD respectively.

EEP also revealed that pilot electricity export to Tanzania commenced during the same fiscal year.

Overall, the total revenue from electricity exports to the four neighboring countries surpassed 118.1 million USD, with exports accounting for 7 percent of total energy production and contributing 20 percent of EEP’s total income.