TPLF damages 1.6 billion Birr electric infrastructures in Ethiopia

Due to the invasion of Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) after July 2021, worth 1.6 billion Birr electric infrastructures are damaged in Amhara and Afar regions, says electric agency.

“The terrorist group TPLF has damaged and looted the electric infrastructures in the two regions, according to Mr. Moges Mekonnen, Communications director of Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) – the state agency engaged in electric power generation – he made the remark briefing local media this morning.



Mr. Moges stated that his institution has been working to restore the entrapped electricity service in those regions by aggressively engaging in maintenances of the damaged infrastructures.

In a related development, Tis Abay II Hydropower station in Amhara region, which has been out of service for eight years, has commenced operation this week after EEP has conducted maintenance on the infrastructures. After one of the units are fixed, it has now started generating 25 megawatts of electricity, according to Mr. Degene Guta, manager of the power station.

Built near Lake Tana in the northwest of Ethiopia, Tis Abay II hydropower station commenced 21 years ago with total capacity of generating 72 megawatts of electricity. At the time Tis Abay II hydropower station, which costed the country $63 million, has increased the total electricity generation capacity of Ethiopia from 450 megawatts.



Currently Ethiopia produces around 4,100 megawatts of electricity with the lion share of energy generated from hydropower. Out of the 18 power stations in the country, 14 are hydropower stations with total energy generation capacity of 3,814 megawatts. The remaining are being generated from two wind farms, along with 104 megawatts  being generated from diesel generator and Aluto Geothermal plant (7.3MW).