Aug 17 , 2025
The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) closed the 2024/25 budget year with major gains in rural electrification and infrastructure upgrades, but the sector continues to bleed from theft, outages, and aging equipment. CEO Getu Geremew disclosed that losses reached 2.31 billion Br, with only 1.43 billion Br recovered. More than 1,000 individuals were held accountable for theft and fraud, as the utility reported 880 million Br still unrecovered. Roughly 22pc of power purchased from Ethiopian Electric Power was lost, half to technical faults such as vegetation and aging conductors, the rest to commercial theft and operational issues. Blackouts remain severe, averaging 46 hours per week nationwide. EEU is responsible for nearly nine in ten outages, with earth faults, theft, and overcurrents driving most disruptions. To counter this, the utility expanded inspections, replaced 53,700 senior meters with smart devices, and cut non-compliant trees, replanting 80,000 to offset environmental impact. Despite challenges, EEU electrified 148 rural kebeles, exceeding targets, and added 501,000 new customers, bringing its base to 5.2 million. Distribution projects in Addis Abeba are more than 93pc complete, while broader works in regional towns remain below 12pc. Looking ahead, the utility plans to electrify 154 rural kebeles, connect 80,000 more customers, and scale up smart meter deployment as part of its 25-year roadmap for a modernised national grid.
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