Ethiopia is set to export 100 megawatts of electricity to Tanzania through Kenya, pending the finalization of a cross-border power trade agreement.
According to Moges Mekonnen, spokesperson for Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), the quantity of electricity could be adjusted during the concluding negotiations.
A key prerequisite for this arrangement—a transmission agreement between Kenya and Tanzania—has already been signed and is awaiting regulatory approval. John Mativo, CEO of Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), confirmed that electricity generated in Sodo, southern Ethiopia, will be transmitted through Suswa in Kenya to Arusha in northern Tanzania.
Ethiopia has invested heavily in hydropower infrastructure, constructing at least four large-scale dams, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. These projects aim to power Ethiopia’s growing manufacturing sector and export surplus electricity to neighboring countries.
Kenya began importing 200 megawatts of hydropower from Ethiopia in 2022, highlighting the growing regional power trade. In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, Ethiopia earned $31.5 million by exporting 497.8 gigawatt-hours of electricity to Djibouti, Sudan, and Kenya, achieving 91.8% of its revenue target, according to EEP reports.
