A consortium led by Enel Green Power has been chosen as the preferred bidder to construct a 100MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Metehara, Oromia, Ethiopia.
The consortium, which also includes Ethiopian infrastructure firm Orchid Business Group, will invest around $120m in the project.
The plant will produce around 280GWh annually upon being operational in 2019. The facility is also expected to reduce carbon footprint by around 296,000 tonnes. The project will sell power to local utility Ethiopian Electric Power under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
Enel Green Power head Antonio Cammisecra said:“Ethiopia has all the potential to become a key market for Enel’s strategy in Africa. The country has plenty of renewable sources that can generate energy at affordable rates thanks to modern green technologies. Additionally, Ethiopia boasts a stable regulatory framework, based on tenders and PPAs, and steady energy demand growth, which is also sustained by a long-term electrification plan.
“We are more than happy to invest in this country, with the aim of meeting its energy demand through our renewable energy expertise, helping to boost Ethiopia’s overall development while supporting local communities with our sustainability initiatives.”
