EEPCo, says that the facility’s proximity to the capital will save a significant amount of energy that is otherwise lost when power is transmitted from a more distant location. The plant will replace several expensive diesel-powered plants that have been used to cover power shortages. The Ministry of Water and Energy, which oversees EEPCo, views the new project as part of Ethiopia’s diversification of its energy supply.
Cambridge Industries has also done feasibility studies for waste-to-energy plants in seven other, smaller cities, in Ethiopia. According to the government’s own preliminary studies, about 35 cities have the potential to generate substantial amounts of electricity in this way.
Cambridge Industries expects to eventually make Koshe a transfer station for a new waste disposal site. Its plans call for the generation of an additional 150 MW of electricity by using all of Addis Abba’s waste, including that from condominiums as well as agricultural and animal waste.