Ethiopia poised to become Africa's renewable energy hub

Ethiopia's Water Resources and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa said the country has the natural resources and technical expertise to become the continent’s primary clean‑energy supplier. He highlighted a hydro‑electric potential of about 600 GW, of which only a small fraction is currently developed, and noted that existing projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Melka Wakena, Koka, Tekeze and Fincha already make Ethiopia a leading renewable power producer in Africa.

Ethiopia now exports electricity to Djibouti, Sudan and Kenya and is expanding cross‑border interconnections. The minister stressed that continued dam construction, integration of solar, wind and geothermal resources, and recent reforms to attract private investment will meet rising domestic demand and support further regional exports. Policy changes approved by the ministerial council and parliament aim to create a more favorable framework for private sector participation in generation, transmission and renewable‑energy development.