Ethiopia said Wednesday it is building three hydropower dams at a cost of 1.4 billion U.S. dollars to meet the increasing power demand.

Sendeku Araya, head of public relations at the state-owned Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, told journalists that Ethiopia hoped to generate millions of dollars in foreign currency by exporting excess electricity to three neighboring countries.

Sendeku said the dams are expected to produce a total of 1,155 megawatts.

"By 2010, the construction of the Tekeze hydropower dam with a capacity of 300 megawatts, Geligele Gibe II with a capacity of 420 mega watts and Belesse hydro-power dam with a capacity of 435 mega watts will be completed," he said.

Sendeku said his country aims to export its excess electric power to neighboring Sudan, Djibouti and Kenya.

Source: Xinhua