Ethiopia signs electrical equipment purchase agreement with Chinese firm

ADDIS ABABA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The state-owned Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) announced on Monday evening it has signed a 16.4 million U.S. dollars electrical equipment purchase agreement with a Chinese firm.

In a press statement, EEP said the agreement signed with TBEA Co., Ltd is for the purchase of Gas-Insulated Switchgears (GIS). Under the agreement, old electricity distribution centers will be replaced in a three-year period with new GIS switchgears.

The energy sector is one of Ethiopia's priorities as the country envisages becoming a light manufacturing hub in Africa and a middle-income economy by 2025.

The East African country is striving to increase its electricity generating capacity from the current 4,200 MW to around 35,000 MW by 2037.