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Construction of the colossal Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) is slated to be completed this year, marking the end of one of the continent’s largest and longest-running infrastructure projects. However, it has come at the cost of heightened animosity with Egypt and Sudan.

The World Bank Group has approved a $202m finance facility to help address grid constraints and enable regional interconnections – opening the way for a doubling of hydropower imports from Ethiopia – under the second phase of its ten-year green energy programme for Kenya.

The ten largest renewable energy additions to African grids in 2024 fall into four distinct groups: Ethiopian hydro, other sub-Saharan African hydro, and wind and solar projects in North Africa and South Africa. African Energy has assessed the projects and whether or not they will be built in time.

At a COP28 signing ceremony, Dubai-headquartered Amea Power announced what promises to be the Horn of Africa’s largest ever wind development – in a country where private project development has proved highly problematic.

 Sources say five more turbines are expected to come online at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the coming months, adding a huge amount of capacity to the grid, even as questions remain over the megaproject’s economic impact and whether the infrastructure exists to increase exports. Meanwhile, Ethiopia faces the prospect of renewed conflict as tensions ratchet up with neighbouring Eritrea, writes Our Ethiopia Correspondent.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed triumphantly announced on 10 September that the fourth and final filling of the $4.2bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) reservoir had been completed, raising the 74km3 reservoir’s water level to 625 metres; last year’s third filling had brought levels to 600 metres.

Ethiopia is set to join the ranks of Africa’s lithium exporters, with first production from the Kenticha resource slated for later this year. But doubts about this claim have been raised by a group of Abyssinian Metals shareholders, who are fighting a boardroom and courtroom battle to remove the Australian developer’s board.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi have pledged to renew efforts to resolve their dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) during a meeting in Cairo. The two leaders said they would try to reach an agreement on the dam’s filling and operating procedures within four months.

Sceptics argue that the World Bank Group’s Scaling Solar programme can distort markets, whereas its backers say it opens the door to increased and sustainable renewable energy investments by independent power producers. Marc Howard and African Energy staff have canvassed a variety of opinions on a major electricity supply industry initiative.

Parastatal Ethiopia Investment Holdings (EIH) and the Ministry of Finance are seeking proposals for 225MW of bagasse-fired co-generation capacity for eight state-owned sugar companies.

The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) has awarded a contract for a feasibility study on electricity interconnections between Ethiopia and Somalia. EAPP said the selection of a consultant to undertake a nine-month environmental and social impact assessment (Esia) was also at an advanced stage.

State grid operator Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) has called for consultancy services for the African Development Bank (AfDB)-supported Eastern Ethiopia Electricity Grid Reinforcement Project.

The International Monetary Fund has trimmed its economic growth expectations for sub-Saharan Africa in its latest World Economic Outlook to 3.6% for 2023. Low-income countries are expected to outperform most of their richer neighbours, but some analysts have warned the IMF is being overly optimistic.

The parastatal Ethiopia Investment Holdings (EIH) and the Ministry of Finance said in March the tendering process to sell eight state-owned sugar companies was progressing. An initial expression of interest was launched in August 2022. A request for proposals (RfP), building on investor feedback, is expected soon.