Koka Dam, 50 years with 39 megawatts
Last updated: 01.09.2010 //
On the 28th of August, the 50th anniversary was celebrated for Ethiopia’s oldest operational hydropower-plant. The 458 metre long dam was an important part of the country’s development during the time of Emperor Haile Selassie, and also then, Norwegian expertise was utilized to make the most of hydropower in Ethiopia.
The main contractors were Italian, but Norwegian company Norconsult was engaged in the process of constructing the dam. Drawing a line to today’s Norwegian engagement in Ethiopia’s hydropower, one can see that “feasibility studies” were conducted by the company also then, in producing the 1957 report: “The Koka Project, Hydroelectric Development in the Awash River, Conditions and specifications “ (http://books.google.no/books?id=nfGPXqfQ91cC&pg=PA350&lpg=PA350&dq=Norconsult,Koka&source=bl&ots=T_eXufBxtR&sig=SD-Q-QfAXDDKB17-yt2lD9zbmTI&hl=no&ei=XlMXTJKVIp6UOJezwYEL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Norconsult%2CKoka&f=false)
The Koka Dam generates 39 megawatts of power. It has already completed its expected economic life-span, but the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation expects to continue the generation of power from the Koka Dam for the next fifteen to twenty years.
Read more about Koka on: http://www.norway.org.et/News_and_events/business/Old-Koka-Dam-still-producing-electricity-50-years-on/