Egypt calls for inclusion in the Ethio-Sudan power study

Addis Ababa - As experts from Ethiopia and Sudan began talks Thursday on the final draft of the Ethio-Sudan Power System Interconnection Project, under study for nearly two years as part of the Nile Basin Initiative, an Egyptian official proposed that her country get involved.

The proposal was made by Dr. Fatima Mustafa, the Egyptian project manager for Nile Basin countries, who stated that the Ethio-Sudan Power System Interconnection Project would bring significant benefits if Egypt was also connected with the power grids of Ethiopia and Sudan.

She said further studies should be conducted to assess the possibility of extending the Ethio-Sudan electric line to Egypt.

Ethiopia's ample supply of hydroelectric power put the country in a good position to sell to neighbouring countries, she said.

The project, which is an integral part of the Integrated Development of Eastern Nile (IDEN) aims at increasing reliable electric power supply in Ethiopia and Sudan.

The project has been under study for the last 22 months with financing from the World Bank and the power utilities of the two countries.

In opening the two-day meeting to deliberate on the final draft, Ethiopian Minister of Mines and Energy, Alemayehu Tegenu, said the project would help his country 'to tackle the issues of rural electricity services, which is one of the most important instruments for poverty reduction'. © dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur