Ethiopia

Aluto Langano Power Plant

Energy sector

Between 2005 and 2010 the country’s total generating capacity increased by 140%, rising from 819 MW to 2062 MW. In the same period access to electricity grew from a level of ca. 15% to 47% of the population, which is mainly located in Addis Ababa and other large towns. In general rural areas are not connected to the main electrical grid but to small local grids which are fed by local diesel plants and small hydro units.

Due to the growth of the agricultural and industrial sectors the power demand is increasing in the whole country. The government through the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), the state-owned firm responsible for electricity generation, plans to construct several new generating facilities (mainly hydropower plants) to increase the country’s power generation capacity, improve and enlarge the national electric grid, including an extension to Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti and across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen for future power export.

Since more than 95% of Ethiopia's electricity is generated by hydropower plants, recurring periods of extended drought make the country's power system vulnerable and power shortages frequent, a situation that strained the resources of many businesses in urban centers. To pursue the objective of a sustainable and secure energy supply the government of Ethiopia supports the diversification of the energy mix and the development of other indigenous energy resources. Geothermal energy being available at all times, regardless of the time of the day, season, climate or weather, is regarded as one opportunity to contribute stable power supply.

Alalobeda Geysir

Geothermal potential
Possible resource areas have been defined within the Ethiopian sector of the East African Rift system and the Afar triangle. About 120 localities have been identified, about 24 of them are judged to have high enthalpy potential, making generation of 1000 MWe a realistic vision. Currently 7.3 MW of geothermal power is generated at the Aluto-Langano pilot plant.

The priority areas to be developed are the Tendaho prospect in the Afar region and Abaya, Tulo Moye and Corbetti in the Main Ethiopian Rift.

The Tendaho prospect is located in the Dubti plantation close to Semera (capital of Afar), approximately 600 km north-east of Addis Ababa. Several surface manifestations like fumaroles, mud pools, and geysers are present. Extensive exploration was carried out in the 1970s-1990s by the Ethiopian Government together with the Italian Aquater company (ENI Group). Several exploration wells were drilled, two of them hitting a horizon with temperatures exceeding 260°C. This reservoir horizon is at approx. 300 m depth, supply is thought to be provided by a large source reservoir at greater depth (> 1 km).

Project

The Technical Cooperation Project “Geo-scientific Exploration for Development of the Tendaho Geothermal System” between BGR, The Ministry Mines and Energy (MME), the Geological Survey of Ethiopia (GSE) was initiated in June 2006 and was finalised in 2012. The project, carried out in two phases,aimed to identify and delineate the deep geothermal reservoir at the Tendaho prospect by improving the geo-scientific knowledge on the area.

Main components of the project were:

• Training of Ethiopian counterparts in acquiring, analysing and interpreting exploration data. In particular Magnetotellurics (MT), shallow temperature and soil gas measurements
• Recommend potential locations for geothermal exploration boreholes at Dubti on the basis of geothermal exploration results
• Advice MME in the improvement of regulatory frameworks to support geothermal development

BGR supported the GSE geothermal team in the exploration by applying the MT method. The acquired MT data indicate the existence of a shallow and a deep geothermal resource (Phase I).

Based on the MT results additional geophysical and geochemical investigations were carried out. BGR trained and supported GSE in performing soil temperature and gas surveys. Through these studies it was possible to identify the main geothermal upflow zone and to specify the target site for exploration drilling.

Other components within the joint project were advisory support and training in Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) methods.

Recent developments

A support of the conduction of geophysical surface studies and the monitoring of drilling works have been planned for 2015, but were postponed to the new programme that starts in 2016.

Cooperation Partners

Ministry of Mines (MoM), Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWR) and its subordinate institutions:

Geological Survey of Ethiopia (GSE)

Ethiopia Electric Power Cooperation (EEPCO) and

Ethiopian Electricity Agency (EEA)