The three day 42nd General Assembly of Union of Power Producers, Transporters and Distributors in Africa (UPDEA) kicked off on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Tekeze hydroelectric power project, which was fully funded by the Ethiopian government, was officially inaugurated on Saturday. The project has begun generating 75 MW electric power same day.

The country's next hydropower project, Beles, which is expected to generate 460 megawatts, is going to be operational in five months' time. A ground breaking ceremony is scheduled for this week as the seven km tunnel drilling work is completed.

Capital - In an effort to improve the nation’s sole telecom provider, the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC), the government has floated a bid for international companies to aide ETC’s top management.

Ethiopia and China here on Sunday signed loan agreement amounting to 349 million USD for construction of the the 79-km Addis Ababa-Adama express highway.

Construction of light rail passenger transport project will be launched in the current Ethiopian year with a view to addressing transportation problems in Addis Ababa City, Transport and Communications Minister Diriba Kuma said.

Addis Fortune - The Tekeze hydroelectric power project, one of the six on-going hydro and wind power generating projects in Ethiopia, is scheduled to be inaugurated Saturday, November 14, 2009. The project was undertaken by China Gezhouba Group International Engineering Co. Ltd. (CGGC).

Afrik - The World Bank is scheduled to meet in the month of September 2010 to decide whether to grant a 380 million dollar joint funding request from Ethiopia and Kenya to interconnect their power grids. The request was made by the CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), Miheret Debebe, and the Energy Ministry of Kenya.

A series of government construction projects in Ethiopia has until recently proved lucrative for the Germen Development Corporation International Services (GTZ IS), a self-funding wing of GTZ. However, a recent strategic shift from the Ethiopia Government suggests it will no longer be a favoured development partner.

Ethiopia announced on Tuesday the launching of US$ 1 billion road projects to be carried out in various parts of the country.