News

Ethiopia is to end the import of diesel/ gasoline powered water pumps in favour of solar energy or other green energy options.

The country's Irrigation and Lowlands Ministry announced that it will reduce the water pumps "that run on oil and petrol and focus on water pumps that run with renewable energy."

"The department's Minister, Eng Aisha Mohammed, told the Ethiopian Press Organisation that "the ministry has done a lot of things in the past nine months."

She stressed that much of the work has been to address irrigation for agriculture.

"In the past nine months, 1,800 irrigation projects have been completed. 251,000 hectares will be put to work in this way. Although it is planned to cultivate 50,000 hectares of land per year, the reality is five times more."

Also, 54,000 water pumps have been distributed for irrigation purposes with support from development partners. This move has helped cultivate around 280,000 hectares.

In April, the Ethiopian Electricity Utility (EEU) announced that solar energy plants are going to be built in hundreds of rural towns.

This would be in areas where electricity services are not accessible.

Ethiopia looks to solar energy to increase access to electricity

Ethiopian Electricity Service Communication Affairs Director, Melaku Taye, told the press agency that the plan is to make “100% electricity accessible in the country by 2030.”

This includes 201 rural towns building solar energy plants "at a cost of $217m, a loan gained from development partners.”

He said the solar energy plants would be used as an alternative electricity source.

Construction on these plants is expected to start soon. An international tender has been issued to select the contractor who will carry it out.

At present, the EEU is able to produce over 5,200MW.

But the country, however, is using below 1,700MW due to the limitation of transmission and distribution lines.