International Solar Alliance Committed to Intensifying Ethiopia’s Solar Development

Addis Ababa, August 16, 2025 (ENA)— The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening support toward fulfilling the huge potential of solar development in Ethiopia.

Commending the nation's macroeconomic reform for creating an enabling ecosystem, International Solar Alliance Director-General Ashish Khanna told ENA that the alliance is here in Ethiopia to support its ambition in developing the huge potential of solar development.  

“We are here in Ethiopia, to help Ethiopia fulfill its potential for a huge solar development. We signed a country partnership framework which will allow us to work over the next three years on how to help Ethiopia develop projects, policies and an ecosystem.”  

Accordingly, “we have signed an agreement to help produce 400 megawatts of a large grid utility.”  

Noting that such projects can bring in a lot of important private investment into the country, the director-general said a 100-kilowatt solar rooftop has been built on the premises of Ministry of Water and Energy.

Stressing the need to build the capability of Ethiopians, Khanna added that Ethiopians must take charge of their own programs on solar power development.

ISA's center of excellence, the Solar Technology Application Resource Center is already training Ethiopians at the Addis Ababa University, he said.

Ethiopia is implementing significant macroeconomic reforms focused on creating a more business-friendly environment, and attracting foreign investment.

With regard to this, the director general noted that “once a country undertakes big microeconomic reforms, it is quite important that a lot of private sectors led growth and investment starts happening, because the government will have its own resources.” 

For the director-general, solar power development is a sector that can attract a lot of private investment, and the timing is absolutely right.

After having undertaken the macroeconomic reforms, the right policy environment and the right ecosystem allow a lot of private sector investment in the solar development sector, he pointed out. 

“So this enabling ecosystem, because of the timing, is absolutely the right time for Ethiopia to have detailed programs to now attract private sector investment.” 

Water and Energy State Minister Sultan Welle recently affirmed that Ethiopia is uniquely positioned to leverage solar energy not only to meet domestic needs but also to become an energy hub.

Ethiopia is actively working in creating an enabling environment for sustainable energy projects, empowering local communities, and ensuring clean energy for all Ethiopians as developing solar energy is one of the priorities of the government.