Aetopic Energy Plc, the company cofounded by Ahmed Kello (PhD), former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, proposed to the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) early in June to provide wind turbine parts for the Aysha Wind Park Project in Dire Dawa.

Aetopic Energy will first start by importing the parts until its planned factory becomes operational, according to the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, which Ahmed expects to sign by July.

Aysha Wind Park is located in Shelele Wereda in the Dire Dawa City Administration and is expected to produce 300MW of electricity with 200 turbines.

If the agreement is signed, Aetopic will import 40 turbines to produce 60MW of electricity for the first phase of the 300MW wind park until its factory starts production at the beginning of 2011. Each turbine is estimated to cost two million dollars, according to Ahmed.

However, there has not been much enthusiasm on the side of the EEPCo about the purchase of the turbines, according to Alemayehu Tegenu, minister of Mines and Energy (MoME), who said that the turbines could be produced locally at a much cheaper price.

"We are looking for companies that can produce the parts locally and supply them to us," said Alemayehu.

Ethiopia has plans to produce 720MW of electricity by the year 2013 from Aysha (300MW), Ashegoda (120MW), Adama I (50MW), and Messebo Harena (50MW) wind parks, according to the five-year plan by the MoME.

The construction of Ashegoda Wind Park located 20km southwest of Mekelle, Tigray Regional State, which is being supplied and installed by Vergnet Group, a French company, has already started. It is expected to be completed by 2013 with an installed capacity of 120MW.