“All the energy mix has to be there, but we have to focus more on the renewable energy because we have to keep our environment clean and we have to have a massive amount of energy in order to electrify so many people in the remote areas as well as to avoid electric interruption even in the cities. Therefore, though we have to focus on the renewable one, we have to have all for a very short period of time. But in the long run, the government will plan to have mostly renewable energy,” he noted.
Dr. Damtew said that hydropower accounts for 90% of electricity currently produced in Ethiopia, with wind generation accounting for another 8% and thermal energy for 2%. In addition, Ethiopia has commenced the construction of a nuclear power plant using the resources of the national university’s Center of Excellence.
“In the future, I’m sure we will have a good energy source from a nuclear science as well as from the rest of the renewable energies like wind and others. So, in the future I’m sure it will be more effective in the renewable energy than the conventional one,” Dr. Damtew noted.
