East Africa has become something of a hotspot for geothermal power - the latest project announced is in Ethiopia. Inhabitat has a report - Ethiopia Announces Plans to Build Massive 1000 MW Geothermal Power Plant.

American-Icelandic company Reykjavik Geothermal just invested $4 billion towards a massive new geothermal farm 124 miles south of the Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The deal signed on Wednesday secures three-quarters of the funding necessary to build the 1000 MW geothermal project, which is the first of its kind in the country, and paves the way to a cleaner energy future for one of Africa’s most populated countries.

Inhabitat has a report on a sizeable wind power project in Ethiopia - Ethiopia Announces Largest Wind Farm in Africa.

When faced with the need to develop additional sources of energy, the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation recently decided that its best option was not to build conventional power plants. Instead, the electricity provider opted to fulfill its energy needs by building Africa’s largest wind farm! The 120 megawatt Ashegoba plant in north Ethiopea will provide for 15 percent of the nation’s present energy capacity.

Up until now Ethiopia has relied upon hydroelectric dams as an important energy source, although recently this strategy has been crippled by severe droughts that strain the country’s energy grid to the point of collapse. EEPC chairman Meheret Debebe has stated that the new wind power project “will help us to fill the gap of hydrological risks we are facing in Ethiopia with the droughts”.

The cost for the project will be 220 million euros, and it is expected to hit a peak production of over 120 megawatts when it is finished in about two and a half years. Africa’s investment in the green revolution will ensure that the continent stands well poised to tackle future challenges, and this is a great first step.