Sunday, December 2, 2012

Hydro dam projects yielding competent Ethiopian engineers

Construction of electric generating dams in Ethiopia is simultaneously equipping domestic engineers with valuable expertise as it meets energy demand.
 

Recently a team of journalists gave a visit to Gibe III Dam where they learnt how enormous skill transfer is happening there.

Salini Costrutori, an Italian construction company, is leaving its marks on the domestic professionals as it runs its daily routines to successfully construct the Dam.

“Salini Costrutori is imparting a lot to Ethiopian engineers involved in such projects,” Engineer Kenzu Temam, project supervisor, told the reporters.

“Believe me sooner Ethiopia will have the expertise to manage such complex construction projects with home-grown talent.”

Project Site Manager, Engineer Mebratu Teshome shared the view and hopes in the near future Ethiopia will be seeking no more foreign talents that take away its much needed hard currency.

Project Manager of Gibe III for Salini Costrutori, Engineer Eugene Zopis admired the unprecedented green energy development in the country over the last decade.

He said the contribution of the energy sector to the national growth has been mammoth. No doubt, he explained, such projects would eventually create domestic competence that can manage power projects like Gibe III and beyond.

Gibe III is achieved by 65 percent so far and will generate 1,870MW electric power when it is got done. Figures indicate that construction of the Dam would consume some 32 billion Birr.