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Geothermal could power new electric railway connecting Ethiopia with Djibouti

Geothermal could power new electric railway connecting Ethiopia with Djibouti Addis-Djbouti Railway video screenshot (source: CCTV)
Alexander Richter 14 Jan 2017

A new railway connection between Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Djibouti has been opened and could be powered by geothermal power from geothermal power plants in Ethiopia and Djibouti.

In November 2016, I attended the ARGeo geothermal conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and on the field trip to the geothermal fields at Aluto-Langano and Corbett we saw a new railway having been built.

It is now reported that the 750 km railway (I also heard a 900 km number), has officially been inaugurated and is connecting the capital city of Addis Ababa and the seaport of Djibouti.

For Ethiopia this is a rather important economic development factor as it is landlocked with no access to the sea.

At the IRENA General Assembly, I am attending at the moment the representative from Ethiopia was reporting that the plan was to power the railway solely by renewable energy. So with geothermal development not far from the railway lines in Ethiopia, as well as in Djibouti, we could soon see a geothermal energy powered train in Ethiopia.

Source: South China Morning Post