As CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power, Azeb Asnake is responsible for construction and operation of generation plants, transmission lines and substations.
By Jennifer Runyon (Renewable Energy World)
In recognition of her great work advancing power generation in Ethiopia, on Tuesday, December 5 at POWER-GEN International, Azeb Asnake, CEO of Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP), was named the 2017 Power Generation Woman of the Year.
Mrs. Azeb Asnake is responsible for the construction and operation of generation plants, transmission lines and substations as well as overseeing the sale of electricity to neighboring Sudan, Djibouti and border towns of Kenya. When she first entered the industry, Ethiopia’s electric energy was mainly hydro based and the generation capacity was 2,430 MW. Since then, generation has grown to 4,500 MW. One goal of Ethiopian Electric Power under her guidance is to become a power hub of Africa and reach a generation capacity of 17,000 MW by 2020 to create a system that will carry and sustain the economy level of a middle-income country.
In Ethiopia, most economic sectors are led by men. A woman leading in an engineering discipline is almost never found. Indeed, Azeb explained in her personal statement that while she was in school her professors and peers discouraged her from entering engineering.
Today, as CEO of a key aspect of Ethiopia’s economic sectors — power generation — Azeb Asnake is demonstrating not only that women can lead in engineering, but also that they can do so with great success. Electric power is growing exponentially in Ethiopia as the country seeks to expand electricity access to as many of its citizens as possible.
Azeb gave a 10-minute speech at the Women in Power Luncheon at POWER-GEN and participated in a panel discussion with the other Woman of the Year Finalists: Pamela Rauch, VP, External Affairs and Economic Development, Florida Power and Light and Caroline Winn, Chief Operating Office, SDG&E.
Source: Renewable Energy World
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