Ethiopia’s long awaited Mega-Hydro electric (Gilgel Gibe II project) finalizes Friday
-project to start producing 105-megawatt energy  
By Dereje Berhanu
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Salini Construttori, an Italian contractor, is scheduled to finalize today June 5, the construction of the Gibe II hydroelectric project that is projected to have the capacity to generate 420 megawatts of electricity. When operations start in the coming two months for testing, the project is expected to upgrade the country’s power supply by 40 percent.

The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) Gibe II project manager Engineer Semegewe Bekele , told SSI the project main work of 26 km tunnel work will be  finalized today Friday June 5. the project located 250Km Southwest of the capital, the project consists of a shortcut connection between the Gilgel Gibe River Basin and that of the Gibe-Omo River.

“now we are working on the commissioning part which includes clearing materials from the tunnel and testing the four unit turbines where each has a capacity of producing 105 mw”, said Simegnew Bekele

The total project is worth 490 million euros (6.1 billion Br) including the installation of transmission lines and sub-stations; the Italian government granted 220 million euros (2.7 billion Br) while European Investment Bank (EIB) approved 50 million euros (627 million Br) and the balance is covered by the Ethiopian government. This project is an extension of the Gilgel Gibe I hydroelectric project finalised in February 2004,

It will channel the water already impounded and used under Gilgel Gibe I, through a 26Km long tunnel, directly into the Gibe-Omo River, The reservoir that will form along 2.5Km of the river will have a volume of 1.9 million cubic metres and will further regulate the river flow and guarantee enough water to produce buffer energy with Gilgel Gibe II even if the first plant were to close its gates.