Ethiopian Review

The Gilgel Gibe II hydropower generation project undertaken by the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation will be completed in the next two weeks.
Sources told Capital that the 420 MW plant would enjoy an informal opening in the next two weeks after completing the remaining 700 metres of a 27 km tunnel.
As the result of several unforeseen natural hazards, the project completion has been delayed for over a year.
Six months ago the project was halted for several days after the drilling machine got stuck in muddy terrain. This came just after striking a hot spring, a development that forced the diversion of the tunnel.
Gilgel Gibe II is a continuation of the Gilgel Gibe I project, using the water discharged by the dam currently in use and channeled through the 27km tunnel under Fofa Mountain.
The project cost is projected to be 373 million Euros. When the Gilgel Gibe II hydropower plant becomes operational it is expected to increase the electricity generating capacity of Ethiopia by 30 to 40 per cent.
Though the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) has started a number of generation projects, the country’s annual power demand growth of 16 per cent has risen faster than it could keep up with, causing huge power shortages. Accordingly, power shedding has already begun to affect the state power monopoly’s customers, as the Tekkeze and Gilgel Gibe II hydropower projects are in danger of not being operational during the coming rainy season.
EEPCo recently announced that geological, geophysical and hydro-geological phenomenon have caused construction of the nearly complete dams in the country to lag behind schedule. The two dams, Tekezze and Gilgel Gibe II, are said to have been delayed for almost a year after the projects faced geological phenomena that would cost the state power monopoly, EEPCo, billions of birr.
The two billion birr Tekeze hydroelectric power project was faced with landslides where the arch dam was constructed. This led to an additional 400 million birr cost to stabilise the surrounding land.

By Groum Abate | (Capital)