How wind power grew in Ethiopia
Adama I in Oromia, with 34 Goldwind turbines and 51 MW, entered commercial operation in August 2012. A joint venture of the Chinese firms HydroChina and CGCOC built it with a loan from China's Exim Bank. Ashegoda in Tigray, with 84 turbines and 120 MW, was built by France's Vergnet with loans from BNP Paribas and AFD. It began producing in October 2013, when Reuters called it Africa's largest wind farm.
The state utility EEP owns every farm, and foreign contractors built them with export credit or aid. Adama II, 153 MW with 102 SANY turbines, was inaugurated in May 2015 with Chinese finance. At Aysha II in the Somali region, China's Exim Bank was to fund 85% of the cost. It released only 40% before suspending payments over debt concerns, and EEP finished the work with its own money. Assela, 100 MW built by Siemens Gamesa, was paid for half by a Danske Bank loan and half by a Danish grant. Its first turbine reached the grid in April 2025.
IRENA counted 504 MW of wind in 2025. Wind generated 1.10 TWh in 2025, 3.3% of electricity. War has cost output. Ashegoda stood idle for about three years during the Tigray conflict, and by March 2024, 22 of its three-bladed turbines had been repaired. Aysha II's first 80 MW was inaugurated in January 2026, and a second 40 MW phase was expected within a year of March 2026.
Sources: AidData · Al Jazeera · AidData · Capital Ethiopia · European External Action Service · Our World in Data · Ember · Addis Fortune
Where Ethiopia's power comes from, 2025
| Source | Share of electricity |
|---|---|
| Hydro | 96.5% |
| Wind | 3.3% |
| Solar | 0.1% |
| Geothermal and other renewables | 0.1% |
Wind farms in Ethiopia
We track 7 wind farms in Ethiopia: 0.7 GW operating and 0.7 GW under construction, consented or planned. Each one's owners, turbines and status are in the Wind app.
Electricity data: Ember yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0). Wind farms: national registers and Global Energy Monitor; see data sources.
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