International Hydropower Association ranks Ethiopia as number for capacity

For the second consecutive year, Ethiopia has the most hydropower capacity in Africa, according to the International Hydropower Association.

The institution’s annual report, dubbed the 2018 Hydropower Status Report, claims that Ethiopia has a total installed hydropower capacity of 3,822MW.

However, Ethiopia’s total capacity – including pumped storage – has dropped from 4,054MW to 3,822MW.

Also, for the second year in a row, the report has ranked South Africa in second position, Egypt in third, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in fourth.

The report found that South Africa had a capacity of 3,595MW in 2017, up from 3,583MW in the previous year’s report.

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Angola placed fifth, followed by Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Sudan. Whilst Mozambique and Nigeria held their positions for the third year in a row, Sudan fell from sixth to ninth.

 Kenya fell two places from 12th to 14th, with it’s total installed capacity only rising from 818MW to 824MW.

The report also highlights the continent’s access to power, noting that only approximately 30% of Africa has access to electricity.

“Despite its vast natural resources, access to electricity across Africa is limited and uneven, with only around 30 per cent of the population having access to electricity,” the report reads.

“While countries like Egypt have total electricity coverage, in countries like Chad and South Sudan less than nine per cent of the population has access.”