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For Kenya, where 95% of electricity comes from renewable sources, the connection is increasing its competitiveness
Businesses, households and local communities in East Africa are reaping benefits from the electricity highway between Ethiopia and Kenya.
According to the African Development Bank Group (AFDB), this project is more than just a piece of infrastructure; it is also an economic and environmental entity, connecting not just power grids but nations and populations.
Officially launched in 2023, after more than 10 years of planning and construction, the pioneering project has created jobs and brought significant economic benefits to the countries. It is defined as the pinnacle of the future, in which green energy drives better regional collaboration and sustainable growth.
It runs for 1,045 km between Wolayta-Sodo in Ethiopia and Suswa in Kenya, enabling both countries to pool resources—hydroelectricity from Ethiopia and geothermal and wind power from Kenya.
The project’s objective has always been to support the social and economic development of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) nations, encourage power trade and regional integration and lessen poverty in those nations.
At the heart of it all lies regional connectivity. Managing Director of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) John Mativo said the project is all about collaboration.
“Around 2010, countries in East Africa, as an energy pool, decided that it was essential to have an interconnected hub so that everyone could use and exploit energy and support each other,” he said.
Households, companies,and businesses in Kenyan communities that directly absorb power are the immediate beneficiaries.
Out of the 100 employees at the Suswa power station, 70 come from the region, offering opportunities for local development
Ethiopia-Kenya Electricity highway’s potential to meet East Africa’s needs and supply energy to the neighbours and beyond
More broadly, the AfDB says the transmission lines will help nations in North, East, and Southern Africa by connecting SAPP and EAPP all the way to northern Egypt and Sudan.
The project boasts High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology, which simplifies the transfer of electricity via long-distance transmission lines. |
