Ethiopian Electric Power has announced that an additional 310 megawatts (MW) of power capacity has been added over the past five years through expansion and upgrade works at substations.

According to Gashaw Endrias, Director of the Regional Coordination Department, the increasing demand for electricity, driven by urban growth and industrial expansion, has necessitated not only new power generation projects but also capacity enhancements, expansions, and upgrades at existing substations.

He explained that the aging infrastructure of substations, overloading, and sudden equipment failures have made these upgrades and maintenance works essential.

The upgrades focus on key components such as switchgear, transformers, shunt reactors, and other critical substation equipment.

Mr. Gashaw noted that, over the past five years, the installation of 22 new power transformers has contributed to the additional 310 MW capacity. Improvements in switchgear capacity have also allowed the transformers to operate more efficiently.

Of the planned upgrades to control breakers at 75 substations, 25 have been completed so far. Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) aims to complete upgrades at 10 more substations this year.

Substations in Bole Lemi, Shashemene, Jijiga, Badle, Harar II and III, Wolkite, Debre Tabor, Ginchi, Debre Birhan, Dire Dawa II and III, Ashegoda, Galan, Hosaina, Bahir Dar II, Gedo, and Gashena are among those that have undergone capacity enhancements, expansions, and upgrades.