A delegation of four came from Norway; David Alan Wright, Project Director of NVE International Section, Sverre Husebye, Section Manager or Section for Water Balance Hydrology Department, Zelalem Mingustu and Demissew Kebede Ejigu, the two latter Ethiopians working for NVE in Oslo.
Planning further institutional cooperation
23 and 24 November the two partners conducted a workshop in Addis Ababa with the main aim of identifying elements to be included in the further cooperation. The workshop focused on NVE support to the management and administration of feasibility studies for hydropower development, including technical and environmental/social impact consultancy bidding. NVE’s institutional experience in hydrology, and support for the transfer of IT skills, discussions on how to collect and treat basic data, were important elements in the workshop. In addition to the technical support by NVE to MoWR, capacity building is incorporated as an important part of the institutional cooperation.
Embassy Counselor and Head of Development Bente Nilson invited all participants for lunch. – It is great to cooperate in an area where we, Norway and Ethiopia, have so much in common. The estimated hydropower potential of Ethiopia and Norway is quite similar. We are pleased to be able to assist you in this project, an area where Norway has a lot of experience and competence, and together we can contribute to development in Ethiopia, she said.
– The workshop has been incredible positive and beyond all expectation, David Alan Wright said to the participants. - I am very impressed by the participation from the MoWR and rarely have I experienced such commitment as from the MoWR. The project has great potential for positive Ethiopian development. With a successful project power can be exported, providing important income for the Ethiopian economy.
The feasibility studies
NVE, a national technical authority on hydrology in Norway, will be engaged by the MoWR to assist the ministry in Ethiopia with formulation of the feasibility studies of the Mandaya and Beko Abo Multipurpose projects on the Blue Nile. These large strategic projects will be of regional importance and have the potential of providing long-term benefits to the entire region. Both projects include hydropower stations with more than 2000 MW installed capacity and large reservoirs which will provide possibilities for increasing water availability for downstream uses such as irrigation as well as reducing the sediment flows and siltation problems downstream. The workshop and capacity building are part of this cooperation.
To read more about NVE, see www.nve.no
The NVE delegation together with Mersha Argaw, Programme Officer at the Embassy and Counselor and Head of Development Cooperation Bente Nilson. Photo: Camilla S. Hansen
- We are pleased to be able to assist you in this project, an area where Norway has a lot of experience and competence, and together we can contribute to development in Ethiopia, Counselor and Head of Development Cooperation Bente Nilson said to the particants. Photo: Camilla S. Hansen