ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Green energy development cooperation between China and Ethiopia is gaining momentum as the East African country recently inaugurated the first phase of the Aysha II Wind Power Plant in the country's Somali Region, Ethiopian energy experts have said.
Samson Tadesse, project manager of the Aysha II wind farm project, said Chinese companies have become strategic partners to Ethiopia through financing and constructing renewable energy development projects, particularly wind power plants.
"Chinese companies are unique in that they pursue a specific model of investment characterized by financing local projects and transferring technical knowledge to local experts," Tadesse told Xinhua recently in an interview.
Recalling that Chinese contractors also built the Adama I and II wind power plants in Oromia Region, each with significant generating capacity, Tadesse said Chinese companies are making a meaningful contribution to Ethiopia's ongoing effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a climate-resilient green economy.
"The contractor, Dongfang Electric Corporation, is quite capable. The technology and electromechanical equipment it introduced into the project are really marvelous. Even though we have a shortage of finance, the company injected its own money and was able to finish the first phase of the project," Tadesse said.
According to the project manager, Dongfang Electric Corporation, which undertook the construction of the Aysha II Wind Power Plant, has introduced advanced designs and technologies, upgrading the power-generating capacity of each windmill to 2.5 megawatts (MW), up from 1.5 MW.
Girma Zeleke, supervision and contract administration director at the Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), noted that Chinese companies are increasingly involved in large-scale energy projects in Ethiopia, especially in the construction of wind power plants and electricity transmission networks.
"Ethiopia is actively working to harness its abundant renewable energy resources, while China is committed to financing green energy projects across the world. This relationship has greatly contributed for the two nations to step up cooperation in clean energy development," Zeleke added.
While inaugurating the first phase of the Aysha II Wind Power Plant on site last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stressed that clean energy development is central to the country's long-term economic transformation.
"I would like to extend my gratitude to the EEP, Dongfang Electric Corporation, and the people in the region for their contribution to the successful completion of the first phase of the project," said Abiy.
Launched in 2017, the Aysha II project will have a total installed capacity of 120 MW, with 80 MW from its first phase already connected to the national grid. Upon completion, the Aysha II Wind Power Plant will feature a total of 48 wind turbines, 32 of which are already operational, with each generating 2.5 MW of electricity. ■