The Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy signed agreements with Chinese and British companies for the implementation of a solar energy project. The contract with Chinese Poly technologies is worth 208 million birr while the contract signed with Yoseph and Elizabeth International Trading plc is worth 10 million birr.
The agreement was signed by Alemayehu Tegenu, State Minister for Water and Energy, Xie Xiaoyan, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Cheng Zerong, Vice President of Poly Technologies and Yoseph Getachew, Managing Director Of YEIT plc.
The contract allows for 25,000 solar home systems with different capacities ranging from 8 watts to 130 watts to facilitate rural electrification to power domestic uses said Alemayehu speaking on the occasion.
The project is expected to improve the quality of life of rural populations according to Alemayhu.The solar energy project will be implemented in the Amhara, Benshangul-Gumuz Oromia, Tigray, Harari and Somalia states as well as in Dire Dawa City administration he noted.
The long sunny season in Ethiopia offers a significant potential to expand solar technologies explained Alemayehu. With this in mind more than 900 institutional systems will be installed in rural health centers and primary school in addition to the 1132 home systems being installed in rural households he added.
The signatories for the other parties involved in the agreement all expressed their commitment to delivering quality systems to meet these ends.
Source: Ethiopian Press Agency
