A man uses a mop to clean solar panels in a garden. © GIZ

Advancing clean energy access in rural Ethiopia

Energising Development (EnDev) Ethiopia

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  • Client

    German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

  • Co-financier

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

  • Country
  • Political sponsors

    More

  • Runtime

    2010 to 2025

  • Involved

    Ministry of Health; Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority; Ethiopian Petroleum and Energy Authority (PEA); Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU); Regional Energy Bureaus; Regional Health Bureaus; Private Sector Association in solar PV and clean cookstove sector; Ethiopian Clean Cooking Alliance; Ethiopian Standards Agency; Ethiopian Women in Energy Association

  • Products and expertise

    Sustainable infrastructure: water, energy and transport

A woman in Ethiopia cooking traditional food using an energy-efficient stove.
GIZ

Context

Ethiopia possesses significant potential for generating renewable energy. Nevertheless, it remains one of the world’s lowest energy consumers. The Ethiopian National Electrification Programme (NEP 2.0) estimates that about 56 per cent of the population lacks reliable electricity, with 35 per cent needing off-grid solutions. Additionally, the rural population is largely unaware of the advantages of clean cooking. Over 90 per cent of Ethiopia’s cooking fuels comes from non-renewable sources like charcoal and collected firewood, causing deforestation, which in turn results in soil erosion and serious respiratory diseases. Due to these effects, the rural population faces critical socio-economic challenges. Expanding the use of energy-efficient, improved, and clean cooking solutions is essential to tackling the problem and enhancing living conditions in Ethiopia.

Objective

Ethiopia achieves a reliable and affordable clean energy supply for off-grid lower-income households, social facilities, and small to medium sized enterprises with a focus on rural areas.

A group of children in Ethiopia celebrating in front of solar panels.© GIZ

Approach

The project is a multi-donor energy access partnership financed by the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland, with additional co-funding from Ireland, the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and the European Union.

To contribute to improved energy access the project promotes various technologies, including:

  • energy efficient and improved cookstoves, higher tier clean cookstoves, and e-cooking solutions
  • solar lanterns (PicoPV) and solar home/stand-alone systems
  • community-based off-grid electricity supply through photovoltaic mini-grids and nano grids
  • Productive use of Energy (PuE) and on grid solutions through electricity grid densification.

The project also develops local and national markets for efficient renewable energy solutions by:

  • advising on policy and national market development
  • providing technical advisory services for government agencies
  • supporting private industry associations
  • developing skills for public and private industry actors as well as members of local vocational training institutions.

Last update: July 2024

Additional information