Ethiopia just made history when it sent power across borders to reach Tanzania for the very first time. The African nation used Kenya's massive electrical highways to deliver the juice straight to its southern neighbor. Power company bosses watched as electricity flowed through the 400-kilovolt transmission lines that connect the three countries. The test run pushed electricity levels from 225 megawatts all the way up to 262 megawatts without any problems. John Mativo from Kenya Electricity Transmission Company said the trial worked perfectly.
Kenya acts like the middleman in this groundbreaking power deal between Ethiopia and Tanzania. The country's electrical grid became the bridge that links these African nations together for energy trading. Tanzania Electric Supply Company will start paying Kenya fees for using their power lines to receive Ethiopian electricity. Kenya could make up to 24 billion shillings from this arrangement during the next three years. The money comes from letting other countries use Kenyan transmission networks.
This pilot project represents the first step toward connecting all East African power systems together. Thirteen countries belong to the Eastern Africa Power Pool that promotes sharing electricity across borders. Ethiopia already sends about 200 megawatts of power to Kenya under a separate long-term contract. The World Bank and other international lenders helped pay for the transmission infrastructure that makes these deals possible. African nations can finally trade surplus electricity with neighbors who need more power.
Kenya acts like the middleman in this groundbreaking power deal between Ethiopia and Tanzania. The country's electrical grid became the bridge that links these African nations together for energy trading. Tanzania Electric Supply Company will start paying Kenya fees for using their power lines to receive Ethiopian electricity. Kenya could make up to 24 billion shillings from this arrangement during the next three years. The money comes from letting other countries use Kenyan transmission networks.
This pilot project represents the first step toward connecting all East African power systems together. Thirteen countries belong to the Eastern Africa Power Pool that promotes sharing electricity across borders. Ethiopia already sends about 200 megawatts of power to Kenya under a separate long-term contract. The World Bank and other international lenders helped pay for the transmission infrastructure that makes these deals possible. African nations can finally trade surplus electricity with neighbors who need more power.
