Nile Information System

There is substantial untapped hydropower potential in EN (Ethiopia and Sudan). However access to electricity is very limited in the region except, Egypt. Power trade and the co-operative development of hydropower and transmission interconnection among the three countries is considered a viable strategy to address this problem.

Project Objective

To promote EN regional power trade through coordinated planning and development of power generation and transmission interconnection and creation of an enabling environment.

Achievements to-date

Power Trade Cooperative Regional Assessment (CRA) along with pre-,and feasibility studies, manuals and work plans including the following:

• Power Trade Strategy including institutional arrangements,
• Investment program including assessment of the Eastern Nile countries’ power systems; expansion, supply and demand till 2030 and economic and financial analyses
• Pre-Feasibility studies for three hydropower sites two in Ethiopia and one in Sudan including technical, environmental and social issues
• Feasibility Study for the electric transmission interconnection
• Recommendations and work-plan for project implementation.
• Training Manual on ESIA
• Training documents on Electrical Interconnection

Challenges

• Downstream environmental and social impacts of upstream cascade development needs to be well understood
• Scale of financial and institutional requirements for implementing power trade arrangement including infrastructure development is enormous

Next Steps: Implementation of Power Trade including identification for the project partnership and risk assessment and mitigation

Read more