Project description

Title: Energy Coordination Office (ECO)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Ethiopia
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopia
Overall term: 2010 to 2012

Context

Ethiopia is a country endowed with abundant renewable energy resources. Yet it is also a country with one of the lowest rates of energy consumption in the world. Only 14 % of its 82 million population has a direct supply of electricity in their homes; among the 66 million people living in the country's rural areas that figure is below one per cent. This is a major limitation on the country’s growth and development.

In the absence of other affordable power sources, people still rely on traditional forms of energy, such as firewood. This is a cause of increased deforestation and soil erosion, and it also leads to health problems. To address this situation, Ethiopia needs to develop and use its renewable, environmentally-sustainable energy resources. This calls for better coordination of the key stakeholders in the sector. It also means the general public must become more receptive to modern energy services and aware of the benefits they bring.

Objective

Conditions in the energy sector in Ethiopia have improved, and lower-income households, social facilities, and small and medium-sized enterprises enjoy the sustainable benefits of greater access to modern energy technologies and services.

Approach

GIZ's Energy Coordination Office (ECO) is helping to improve access to modern energy services in Ethiopia through its Energizing Development Programme (EnDev Ethiopia). EnDev Ethiopia involves capacity development measures for all the partners in the programme, such as public and non-governmental organisations, as well as representatives of the private sector and local communities. This includes the use of pilot projects and other support measures to promote sustainable energy services in the country. The interventions of ECO are carried out by three technical departments.

• Policy, private sector development and services – This advises the Ethiopian Government on policies, strategies, laws and programmes. It is helping to develop the role of the private sector in renewable energy production, and it promotes the productive use of energy supplied in rural communities.
• Electrification – This promotes rural electrification by building up local capacities and international linkages for the provision of small-scale solar and hydropower systems.
• Bio-energy – This promotes improved energy-efficient cooking technologies, such as ‘mirt’ baking stoves, ‘tikikil’ household stoves, and institutional ‘rocket’ stoves.

ECO works closely with the Ministry of Water and Energy and its subsidiary bodies. It also cooperates with other government institutions at national, regional and local levels, as well as various international organisations, NGOs, educational institutions, civil society bodies and other local entities.

Results achieved so far

• Photovoltaic solar systems have been installed in 100 remote, off-grid public health centres and four community centres. This work was performed by private companies.
• The first solar technology training centre has been established at Selam Vocational Training Centre, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Alternative Energy Promotion and Development Centre. Two pilot micro-hydropower plants are in operation and another two under construction in three villages in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region.
• To date, more than 600 small-scale producers of improved, energy-efficient cooking stoves have set up business in 310 towns and seven regions. By the end of April 2011, these had produced and sold as many as 450,000 energy-efficient stoves of different kinds.
• ECO has supported the establishment of Centres of Excellence for Hydropower at Jimma and Arba Minch Universities
• The Solar Energy Development Association Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian Hydropower Society were established in 2010, with the support of ECO.
• In December 2010, the First Ethiopian Solar Energy Trade Fair was organised, connecting importers and retailers.