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Aerial view of a city in the Ethiopian highlands

AFRICA'S ENERGY SHIFT STARTS HERE

ETHIOPIA'S ENERGY TRANSITION HAS ALREADY STARTED

A market where electric mobility, charging infrastructure, solar power, energy storage, and industrial electrification are moving from future opportunities to immediate requirements.

A MARKET IN TRANSITION

About Ethiopia market

Ethiopia is entering a period of profound change. Africa's second most populous country is investing heavily in power generation, urban infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and industrial development - while simultaneously pursuing one of the world's most ambitious transitions away from imported fossil fuels.

The result is a market where electric mobility, charging infrastructure, solar power, energy storage, and industrial electrification are moving from future opportunities to immediate requirements. For the companies supplying these technologies, Ethiopia deserves attention.

Addis Ababa skyline at sunset, Ethiopia

THE Numbers

Ethiopia at a glance

135.9M

POPULATION

Africa's second most populous country -
a rapidly growing consumer and labor base.

USD 126B+

ECONOMY

World Bank GDP estimate for 2025.

9.2%

PROJECTED REAL GDP GROWTH

IMF projection for 2025/26.

~60%

EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE

Agriculture remains fundamental to livelihoods
and the national economy.

95%+

RENEWABLE POWER CAPACITY

Installed electricity capacity is overwhelmingly renewable, led by hydropower.

5,000+ MW

GERD CAPACITY

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam materially expands domestic renewable generation.

THE TRANSITION HAS ALREADY STARTED

From imported fuel
to electricity

Ethiopia's shift away from fossil fuel is economic, not just
environmental. The country still imports the majority
of its fuel - while generating almost all its electricity
at home, from renewable sources.

2024

first national ban on ICE vehicle imports

USD 3.6B

2024 fuel import bill

100,000+

EVs already on the road

Hydroelectric dam and renewable energy infrastructure in Ethiopia

Import less fuel.
generate more electricity locally. electrify transport, industry, 
& everyday life.

In 2024, Ethiopia became the first country to ban imports of petrol and diesel vehicles.
Its National E-Mobility Strategy (2025-2030), launched in 2026, sets the roadmap
for EV adoption, charging infrastructure, and local manufacturing.

Electric vehicle charging stations and EV infrastructure

200 of 1,176 required

ADDIS ABABA CHARGING STATIONS

National target: 2,230 fast-charging stations, including the Addis Ababa-Djibouti corridor

a clear investment gap

electric vehicles are arriving faster than the infrastructure

Public and private charging is appearing across Addis Ababa - but supply is far behind demand, and the gap opens the market to new suppliers.

where the gap is:

AC and DC charging

Ultra-fast charging

Fleet and commercial hubs

Solar carports and storage

Energy management

Payment systems

Installation and maintenance

Grid infrastructure

URBAN CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT

75 cities being transformed

Ethiopia’s Urban Corridor Programme is reshaping its cities through new roads, public spaces and infrastructure, expanding from Addis Ababa to the rest of the country. For clean-energy suppliers, this growth presents a parallel opportunity to support the transition towards more sustainable, electrified urban infrastructure.

what the corridors need:

EV charging infrastructure

Solar-powered public lighting

Smart energy management

Electric municipal vehicles

Electric buses, commercial vehicles

Energy storage

Solar carports

Modern grid and distribution

Modern urban development and city streets in Addis Ababa

75 cities

WITH CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY

*Reported by Ethiopia's Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, March 2026

GET INVOLVED!

Be Part of Africa's Energy Transformation

Whether you're looking to showcase your solutions, generate business opportunities, or discover the latest innovations, AGMEX is where Africa's energy future comes together.

industrial electrification

mining's next resource is power

Ethiopia holds deposits of gold, lithium, tantalum, potash, and other industrial minerals — and the government wants mining to become a far larger part of the economy. Most sites sit far from reliable grid power, creating a natural market for solar-battery-diesel hybrid systems.

what remote sites need:

Exploration camps

Water pumping

Crushing and processing

Workshops and labs

Lighting

Worker accommodation

Remote monitoring

Hybrid microgrids

Large-scale infrastructure and construction development in Ethiopia

2%

14%

targeted share of GDP from mining by 2030

WHY THE MARKET MATTERS

The opportunity is the gap

Ethiopia already has the scale, the growth and one of Africa's cleanest power systems. What it doesn't yet have is the infrastructure to connect it.

More charging

More solar

More storage.

More distribution

More investment

SOLAR

A renewable giant,
with a solar market
still to build

1,350 GW

Theoretical solar generation potential

5.2 kWh/m²

Average daily solar irradiation

Ethiopia is known for hydropower — but its solar resource is enormous and still largely untapped. In 2025, the country commissioned its first grid-connected rooftop solar installation, a model for wider adoption across homes and businesses.

where solar is needed:

Solar panels installed on a city building rooftop.

Business & institutional

Solar plus storage reduces reliance on diesel backup and gives hotels, factories, and offices more control over their own power.

Rooftop solar

Battery storage

Microgrids

Energy management

Solar panels on a house roof under a blue sky

Homes

35.7% of households already rely on off-grid solar — while an estimated 71 million Ethiopians still lack sufficient electricity access.

Solar home systems

Mini-grids

ay-as-you-go finance

Lighting

Solar farm in rural Ethiopia

Agriculture

Solar irrigation receives 70% government support, versus 40% for diesel — a major shift for a sector still largely rain-fed.

Solar water pumping

Drip irrigation

Cold storage

Electric farm equipment

Farmer drying coffee beans on raised beds in Ethiopia

Coffee

Solar drying cuts processing time by up to 50% for Ethiopia's five million smallholder coffee farmers.

Sun coffee drying

Washing station pumping

Processing power

Remote battery storage

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