The EU-HoA-REC Rural Energy Project of Ethiopia – Officially Launched

About 60,000 people, living in kebeles with no current connection to the national electricity grid, will benefit from renewable energy supply in the next four years. On Wednesday October 19, the EU-HoA-REC/N Rural Energy Project of Ethiopia (entitled “Integrated Approach to Meet Rural Household Energy Needs of Ethiopia”) was officially launched at the Addis Ababa Hilton on October 19, 2011. This € 3.25 million project is funded by the European Union Energy Facility (EUEF) and implemented by HoA-REC and several partners.

After a welcoming address from Dr. Araya Asfaw, Executive Director of HoA-REC, H.E. Wondimu Tekle, State Minister of Water and Energy, officially opened the event by acknowledging the EUEF for this programme “which supports the development and spreading out of alternative energy technology promotion initiatives in Ethiopia through financing and contributing to improving the lives and livelihoods of the Ethiopian people.” 

He further remarked that this project supports the national alternative energy technology promotion targets of Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan, which require the combined efforts of the federal Ministry of Water and Energy, the regional Water and Energy bureaus, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, bilateral and international partner organizations and other stakeholders.

Mr. Alemayehu Semunigus, on behalf of the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia, provided an overview of EU Energy Facility Key Strategic Considerations; HoA-REC staff followed with a comprehensive overview of the project and a format for implementation on the ground. A total of 20 renewable Energy Technology (RET) enterprises will be constructed in six weredas, more specifically:

• Ada’a, Arsi Negelle, Boset and Fedis in Oromiya,
• Bati in Amhara, and
• Kolatembien in Tigray.

Partners and associates from ICCO, ENDA, GIZ and ORDA presented their renewable and energy efficient technologies (pictured below). This project shows that a strong collaboration between several partners and the government can create synergy, beneficial to the Ethiopian people.