Ethiopia’s electricity exports to neighboring countries have increased by 31 percent over the past decade, underscoring the country’s growing role in regional power trade and its efforts to strengthen East African energy integration.

The National Load Dispatch Center disclosed the figure at the conclusion of a consultative meeting that brought together member states of the East African Power Pool (EAPP).

The two-day meeting focused on strengthening regional electricity supply and market integration, while also coordinating preparedness and mitigation measures against potential El Niño-related impacts on power generation and system operations.

Briefing regional delegates on Ethiopia’s electricity generation capacity and regional power trade, Director of the National Load Dispatch Center, Engineer Mikias Wondimu, said electricity exports currently account for between 6.5 percent and 10 percent of the country’s total power generation.

Ethiopia is also pursuing an ambitious roadmap to expand electricity exports, with a target of reaching 5,000 gigawatt-hours in annual power exports by 2030.

To support this expansion, the country is advancing plans for new cross-border transmission links with South Sudan, Somalia and Somaliland.

Additional power corridors involving Djibouti and Sudan are also being developed to facilitate wider regional electricity trade and strengthen interconnection across East Africa.

Engineer Mikias further highlighted the need to strengthen the resilience of Ethiopia’s power system against climate-related risks.

With more than 95 percent of the country’s electricity generation currently coming from hydropower, Ethiopia is pursuing diversification of its generation mix to reduce vulnerability to climate variability and changing hydrological conditions.

The diversification strategy is expected to support a more resilient and reliable power system while creating additional opportunities for regional electricity trade.

The consultative meeting provided EAPP member states with an opportunity to review developments in regional power systems, exchange experiences and identify measures to enhance the reliability, resilience and efficiency of the interconnected electricity network.

Ethiopia’s expanding export capacity and cross-border transmission investments position the country to play an increasingly important role in the development of an integrated East African electricity market.