Ethiopia to electrify 25 rural villages using solar photovoltaic (PV) energy

The Ministry of Water and Energy has announced that preparations are in the final stages to provide electricity powered by photovoltaic (PV) energy to about 25 small rural villages.

The Ministry’s Executive Director for Rural Energy Technology Development and Transfer, Birhanu Woldu, told ENA that efforts are underway to expand access to electricity through alternative energy sectors.

Birhanu highlighted photovoltaics as a key alternative energy source and explained ongoing initiatives to enable rural communities to benefit from this technology.

He stressed the use of mini-grid technology to bring electricity to remote rural villages located far from the main power grid.

“This mini-grid technology enables us to provide electricity not only for domestic consumption but also for community services,” Birhanu explained.

The Executive Director added that the power supply would significantly improve access to energy for health centres, educational institutions and other community service providers.

Reflecting on recent achievements, Birhanu noted that 15 small rural towns gained access to electricity through mini-grid technology in the Ethiopian fiscal year 2023/24. He further revealed the ambitious plans for the current fiscal year, stating, “We are working to expand electricity access to 100 rural towns.”

Birhanu announced that preparations are almost complete for another 25 small rural towns to benefit from electric power in the near future.

The installations of solar energy technology in these towns have been completed, and house-to-house electrical connection works are progressing rapidly, the Executive Director revealed.

“Most of the solar energy systems have been installed. What remains is the distribution system, the process of bringing electricity to each household,” Birhanu explained.

Birhanu also projected that these projects would be fully operational and begin providing services by December 2024.

Birhanu also highlighted the impressive achievements of the Ministry of Water and Energy during the last Ethiopian fiscal year, reporting on the distribution of 345,520 diverse solar energy technologies. This initiative has benefited up to 1.6 million community members.

It was learnt that the distributed technologies, designed primarily for domestic use, include systems with capacities above 8 watts.

“These technologies can power various household appliances, effectively replacing kerosene lamps and enabling the use of televisions and refrigerators,” Birhanu explained.

Looking ahead to the 2024/25 fiscal year, Birhanu outlined plans for a wide distribution of diverse solar energy technologies to make electricity accessible to a wider population.

The Executive Director underlined that these efforts are being implemented through financial mobilization and private sector engagement.