Ethiopian-Sudan gets South Korean funds for power project

A South Korea bank EDCF has approved a loan of $80 million to Ethiopia to support part of the construction and expansion of the Ethiopia-Sudan electric power transmission line.

The new power lines will stretch from Debremarkos to Gebre Guracha to Sululta – all north of the capital Addis Ababa – and is an expansion of the existing 212-km Beles-Bahir Dar-Sululta transmission line which runs via the southern shores of Tana Lake to the Sudanese border.

The project envisages a 22-km cable from Sululta, north of Addis Ababa, to Legetafo north-east of the capital, and a 22-km cable from Sululta to Chancho, both north of the capital. Two power distribution stations will be constructed – the first plant, with a capacity of 400 KW, will be built in Gebre Guracha, and the second, with a capacity of 230 KW, will be built in Chancho.

The power lines will meet at the Ethiopian town of Metema on the edge of Sudan’s Dinder National Park before connecting with the World Bank-funded transmission line in the Sudanese border town of Gedaref. Completed in February, the facility allows Sudan to import an initial 100MW of electricity.

Ethiopia currently exports 35MW of electricity to its Red Sea neighbour Djibouti, generating $1.5 million each month.

Ethiopia has long-term plans to export power to Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Somalia and Yemen.