Ethiopia Considering Private Sector Involvement in Hydro-power

The Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy is assessing the feasibility of five proposed small scale hydro-power plants to be constructed and managed by private sector investors.

Four cooperatives and a private investor from the Southern Regional state have been selected as potential investors in the Rural Electrification Fund program being launched by the ministry.

The feasibility study which demonstrated that energy potential of five different rivers in Oromia, Amhara, Gambella, Benishangul, and Southern Regional States was conducted by the Water Works Design & Supervision Enterprise at an approximate cost of 2 million birr.