Ethiopia: Japan tech firms secure geothermal project

Renowned Japanese technology companies, Toshiba and Toyota as well as a Turkish company have secured a geothermal project deal from the Government of Ethiopia.

Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) announced that the company, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Turkish engineering company Egesim Energy Electro-Mechanic Construction Contracting Co., Ltd. have received an order of engineering, procurement and construction for Aluto Langano Geothermal Wellhead Power System in central Ethiopia.

It is developed by the Ethiopian Electric Power (hereinafter “EEP”). Toshiba ESS will be in charge of supplying the steam turbine and the generator. The project will proceed under the Grant Aid scheme of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), according to the press statement from the company. Aluto Langano Geothermal Wellhead Power System is a 5 MW small scale geothermal power plant where EEP plans to commence commercial operations in August 2021. Toshiba ESS will deliver its small scale geothermal power generation system at this power plant.

The small scale geothermal power generation system that has been developed by Toshiba ESS generates power from geothermal resources with outputs ranging from 1 MW to 20 MW. Capable of being installed within a short period for early operation and it is a portable power generation system that can effectively utilize a small number of drilled wells.

Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous nation with a population of over 100 million. Although the country is growing economically, its electrification rate stands at 30%* and the country therefore faces the need to increase its power facilities.
Ethiopia possesses an equivalent of roughly 10,000 MW* of geothermal potential resources and the country is planning to develop new geothermal power plants totaling a capacity of roughly 2,500 MW* by the year 2030.

Toyoaki Fujita, Business Development Executive at Toshiba ESS, said, “We are extremely proud to receive this facilities order, which is our first in Ethiopia for power plant. We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a comprehensive partnership in geothermal power with EEP in September 2014.

Based on this MOU, we have been supporting them on human resources development activities such as training some of their executives and managers at our company utilizing various Japanese government support programs. When Prime Minister of Ethiopia came to Japan in August 2019, he visited our Keihin Product Operations to see our manufacturing technology of geothermal power. Going forward we will maintain ongoing initiatives in human resources development and contribute to the development of geothermal power generation in Ethiopia.”