Ethiopia launches 120 MW wind farm

• 10 years ago (2013-10-26)
• Junior Isles

Africa 303 Europe 1061 Renewables 752

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Ethiopia has launched what it claims to be Africa’s largest power generating wind farm at Ashegoda, according to the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo).

The Ashegoda wind farm is 18 km from Mekelle, the northern Tigray regional capital, and has a power generating capacity of 120 MW and will produce about 400 million kWh per year.

The Ashegoda project has been completed on schedule and within 36 months, including the construction of access and maintenance roads and other supporting infrastructure for integration with the EEPCo grid system and future expansion.

“All units have now been constructed and are already providing energy to the national grid,” said the power firm.

The project’s feasibility study was carried out seven years ago before French company Vergnet Groupe was awarded the contract in October 2008.

It was jointly financed by BNP Paribas of France, the French Development Agency (ADF) and EEPCo.

Ethiopia already has two wind farms about 100 km south of Ashegoda at Adama, which generate roughly 51 MW each for the Oromia Regional State grid, which came on stream in 2011 and 2012, respectively.