EEP says Electric Power Restored in Kombolcha, Dessie Next

ADDIS ABABA – Electric service is restored in Kombolcha Town, Ethiopian Electric Power said on Friday, as its crews step up response to outages in recently liberated towns and cities.

Federal and regional forces retook strings of towns and cities in Amhara and Afar region from TPLF fighters in the last two weeks.

The Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) said its experts visit in liberated towns found out that multiple electric towers and spans of transmission lines downed as a result of attacks by the TPLF fighters, causing outage.

The state-run firm said its crews are currently toiling day and night to repair the damaged infrastructures in its updates on their progress.

According to EPP, the ongoing restoration efforts involve maintenance of the high transmission lines, connecting the lines and substations to the distribution network lines.

On Tuesday, electricity service resumed in most towns of Shewa including Ataye, Karakore and Shoa Robit, said EEP after its experts fixed most parts of the transmission line starting from Legedadi to Shoa Robit.

The lines were deliberately destroyed, said EEP, adding the start of similar restoration work on Geregera-Gashena electric transmission line.

‘Dessie Next’

On Thursday, EEP crews also managed to restore electric power to residents of towns between Karakore and Kemise and continued to make more progress the following day.

In its update today, the state-run firm said its repair team was able to complete maintaining the Kemisse-Kombolcha-Dessie transmission line.

Apart from repairing, the EEP said they successfully carried out inspection and testing work of the line.

And this has helped restore electric service in Kombolcha town as of Friday afternoon.

Efforts will continue throughout the night to resume electric service in Dessie, it added. Electricity has been cut in Dessie and Kombolcha since 30 October.

Apart from Kombolcha and Dessie, the 132 KV transmission line, currently under repair, also provides electric power access to Alem Ketena and towns in western Afar regional state.

EEP also said two high voltage transmission towers along Bati-Mille lines severely damaged caused by TPLf’s heavy artillery attack, and full reconstruction of the towers underway.