Teams are ready to repair damaged electric lines
Executives of Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) say they are ready to begin resume services in Tigray as soon as the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) assumes control over the region’s capital.
The government has vowed to resume humanitarian assistance and basic services to citizens in the Tigray region after it reached an agreement with the TPLF to cease hostilities about three weeks ago.
The nearly two-year-long war in northern Ethiopia has had a significant impact on service delivery, with electricity being cutoff to the area.
“There is more human power, and the facility is ready in all areas,” Moges Mekonnen, EEP’s communication director, said. “We are ready at any time if the government gives us the direction to enter the region.”
Adequate preparations, according to the director, will be made to restore electricity. “The team is waiting until the ENDF assumes control over the region and we will then conduct assessment to know the level of damage,” Moges said.
Earlier this month, Redwan Hussien, security advisor to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), tweeted that “the ENDF controlled over 70 percent of Tigray Region.”
The EEP says it has repaired electric transmission lines from Humera to Shiraro Shire and pledged to resume service within the next 20 days.
“Following the peace agreement, efforts are being made to restore electricity to the areas. The 230 KV transmission line from Tekeze to Adwa was repaired when the region was under the control of the interim administration. However, due to the resumption of the war, the transmission line sustained damage again,” officials at the EEP said.
More than 80 percent of the damaged power transmission lines have been repaired, which has 474 towers and is 260 kilometers long from Humera-Shraro to Shire, according to EEP officials. Out of 92 damaged transmission lines and other power service equipment, 68 have been repaired.
The maintenance of the 230 KV power transmission line from Gashena to Alamata has been completed, said the official, adding that the EEP would soon start repairing transmission lines to Axum and Adwa.
