Enel Green Power the Italian utility firm will lead a consortium to construct a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Metehara, Ethiopia, Antonio Cammisecra, head of Enel Green Power has confirmed.
Orchid Business Group which is part of the consortium, will be investing approximately US$120m in developing, building and operating 100MW of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Metehara.
Mr. Cammisecra said that Ethiopia has plenty of renewable sources that can generate energy at affordable rates thanks to modern green technologies hence the decision to construct the solar power plant in Metehara.
“We are also impressed by Ethiopia’s stable regulatory framework, based on tenders and power purchase agreements, and steady energy-demand growth, which is also sustained by a long-term electrification plan,” he added.
In 2019, The Metehara plant is expected to start operation.
Once operational, the facility will be able to generate approximately 280GWh per year, while avoiding the emission of around 296,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
In terms of installed capacity, Enel is the biggest private energy company in Africa’s renewable sector.
Enel already operates in Morocco, Zambia, Kenya, Senegal and South Africa.
Ethiopia has stepped up efforts to bolster its renewable energy portfolio in recent years. The country is constructing a hydropower project on the Nile which upon completion will become the largest in Africa.