[url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/africa-biggest-wind-farm-opens-ethiopia-2013102713165843147.html[/url]
[QUOTE]Africa's biggest wind farm has begun production in Ethiopia, aiding efforts to diversify electricity generation from hydropower plants and help the country become a major regional exporter of energy
Africa's second most populous country - plagued by frequent blackouts - plans to boost generating capacity from 2,000 MW to 10,000 MW within the next three to five years.
Much of the increase would come from the 6,000 MW Grand Renaissance Dam under construction on the Nile.
The US $290m Ashegoda Wind Farm was built by French firm Vergnet SA with concessional loans from BNP Paribas and the French Development Agency (AFD).
The Ethiopian government covered 9 percent of the cost.
"Various studies have proved that there is potential to harness abundant wind energy resources in every region of Ethiopia. We cannot maintain growth without utilising the energy sector," Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in a speech at the launch.
Experts put Ethiopia's hydropower potential at around 45,000 MW and geothermal at 5,000 MW, while its wind power potential is believed to be Africa's third-largest behind Egypt and Morocco.[/QUOTE]
good news for a change from africa.
that blows my mind
[QUOTE=SIRIUS;42667276]that blows my mind[/QUOTE]
your pun (and all puns following) blows
I bet their next source of power is tying kinetic energy harvesters to the legs of chickens and setting them free
[Sp] I am so sorry.[/Sp]
I can't imagine spending extra money on things like wind farms is good for a country that doesn't really have the money for basic expenses.
Oh, Ethiopia only paid for 9% of the total cost. Honestly, this shows that the main goal isn't to help Ethiopians. That same amount of money spend on cheap energy like oil and gas would have been able to help so many more people.
The term "wind farm" always makes me laugh. Its like they are putting air in a bottle and selling it.
[QUOTE=SexualShark;42667544]The term "wind farm" always makes me laugh. Its like they are putting air in a bottle and selling it.[/QUOTE]
Only in China
[QUOTE=sgman91;42667502]I can't imagine spending extra money on things like wind farms is good for a country that doesn't really have the money for basic expenses.[/QUOTE]
Ethiopia is one of the few countries which managed to modernize and retain their independence at the same time (minus when the Italians took over and then the Communists ruined it and made it a Soviet toy).
Today it's still got quite a bit of political corruption, but it's improving. Once it gets their shit together it can easily become a major agricultural exporter and breadbasket I reckon.
[QUOTE=SexualShark;42667544]The term "wind farm" always makes me laugh. Its like they are putting air in a bottle and selling it.[/QUOTE]
actually makes me think of a cow farm where they just collect their farts for energy
[QUOTE=SexualShark;42667544]The term "wind farm" always makes me laugh. Its like they are putting air in a bottle and selling it.[/QUOTE]
With wind farms you reap what you blow.
Now they just need the appliances to use the power and they're all set!
Will it feed the children?
[quote]The US $290m Ashegoda Wind Farm was built by French firm Vergnet SA with concessional loans from BNP Paribas and the French Development Agency (AFD).[/quote]
Woooo Capitalism.
Western owned windfarms selling the energy. Still. Better selling energy than to have no energy.
[QUOTE=pentium;42668085]Will it feed the children?[/QUOTE]
There hasn't been famine in Ethiopia for years.
[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;42668032]With wind farms [B]you reap what you blow[/B].[/QUOTE]
This sounds like the name of a horribly made porno.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42667610]Ethiopia is one of the few countries which managed to modernize and retain their independence at the same time (minus when the Italians took over and then the Communists ruined it and made it a Soviet toy).
Today it's still got quite a bit of political corruption, but it's improving. Once it gets their shit together it can easily become a major agricultural exporter and breadbasket I reckon.[/QUOTE]
"Soviet toy" might be stretching it. While it is undeniable that the Soviet Union offered monetary and military support to the Derg regime, much of the blame for the horrors that occurred at the time can be pointed at Mengistu Haile and his party, who utilized hunger as a weapon against dissent and were ultimately responsible for tens of thousands of deaths across Ethiopia.
[QUOTE=1nfiniteseed;42668295]"Soviet toy" might be stretching it. While it is undeniable that the Soviet Union offered monetary and military support to the Derg regime, much of the blame for the horrors that occurred at the time can be pointed at Mengistu Haile and his party, who utilized hunger as a weapon against dissent and were ultimately responsible for tens of thousands of deaths across Ethiopia.[/QUOTE]
By Soviet toy I was pretty much referring to how they supported the coup and the regime.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42667610]Ethiopia is one of the few countries which managed to modernize and retain their independence at the same time (minus when the Italians took over and then the Communists ruined it and made it a Soviet toy).
Today it's still got quite a bit of political corruption, but it's improving. Once it gets their shit together it can easily become a major agricultural exporter and breadbasket I reckon.[/QUOTE]
My basic point is that wind energy is a luxury, not a necessity, and a country that doesn't even have necessities shouldn't be spending money on luxuries. When they get to the point that you're talking about then I won't be criticizing them for wasting money.
[QUOTE=Excalibuurr;42667600]Well, we have people bottling water and selling it. So you're not very far off.[/QUOTE]
But the thing is, bottled water is pretty important.
A lot of places out in the country have their own well, and quite a few are old ones.
The house i grew up in always had water that tasted like metal, due to a chain falling in when the well was put in. When it rained hard, the water turned murky and had a strong smell.
Now im in a different place, 1000 miles away, and this water has little specks of dirt in it. When it rains hard, it turns color.
Bottled water has pretty much been a life saver over the years, if not a life saver, it has sure kept me from being sick
[QUOTE=sgman91;42668483]My basic point is that wind energy is a luxury, not a necessity, and a country that doesn't even have necessities shouldn't be spending money on luxuries. When they get to the point that you're talking about then I won't be criticizing them for wasting money.[/QUOTE]
Green power is a luxury? I'd much rather see a developing country utilize renewable energy like hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind. You'd rather have another dozen coal-burning plants to accelerate climate change?
I'm a fan of this
"Oh yes! The white man will build farms for us!"
"Well. Sort of. These are WIND farms"
"But we can eat the crop right?"
...
"Right?"
[QUOTE=Decoy Ocelot;42675706]Green power is a luxury? I'd much rather see a developing country utilize renewable energy like hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind. You'd rather have another dozen coal-burning plants to accelerate climate change?[/QUOTE]
That green power is at the expense of human suffering when it comes to third world countries. They don't have the energy they need and green sources are much more expensive than oil and gas.
[QUOTE=sgman91;42679070]That green power is at the expense of human suffering when it comes to third world countries. They don't have the energy they need and green sources are much more expensive than oil and gas.[/QUOTE]
Please tell me how renewable energy equates with human suffering.
These "expensive" green power sources only need routine maintenance to continue producing power every year, as opposed to being dependent on fossil fuels. You seem to be forgetting that oil, coal, and natural gas either have to be domestically extracted and processed (which requires additional expensive infrastructure), or imported from abroad. The wind and sun and the Nile are already there, waiting to be used.
Another thing that people seem to be overlooking is that over 90% of Ethiopia's power is already produced through renewable sources; this isn't foreign intervention, this is domestic policy. This expansion of their wind capacity is primarily intended to complement their already sizable hydro capacity: their windy season corresponds with the dry season, so more wind generators help offset seasonal variations in water levels. They're also planning on expanding their hydro capacity with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which will be the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa, and the 13th or 14th largest worldwide.
We shouldn't blindly impose our petroleum-centric mindset onto rising countries simply because that's the way things have been done in the past. Yes, Ethiopia needs more power. Should they become dependent on foreign oil to accomplish this? No, because they're already working to bridge the gap in their own way, with the renewable resources that they have access to.
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