Message from the Head of the CoE

It is with great pride and purpose that I welcome you to the Sustainable Energy Centre of Excellence (SE, CoE) at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU). As one of the eight Centers of Excellence established with a national mission, our Centre stands at the forefront of Ethiopia's transition toward a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive energy future.

The Sustainable Energy Centre of Excellence is dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and capacity building across the energy value chain β€” from generation to efficient utilization β€” guided by the principles of sustainability, equity, and technological advancement.

We aim to bridge the gap between research and practice, fostering collaboration among academia, industry, government, and development partners. Our mission is not only to generate cutting-edge knowledge but also to provide practical solutions that contribute to Ethiopia's and Africa's broader sustainable development goals.

We believe that sustainable energy is the foundation for economic growth, environmental protection, and social progress. We are committed to nurturing skilled professionals, developing context-appropriate technologies, and influencing policy directions that ensure equitable access to clean and reliable energy.

I warmly invite researchers, students, policy-makers, and industry leaders to engage with us in order to collaborate, innovate, and make a lasting impact. Together, we can build a sustainable energy future for Ethiopia and beyond.

Samson M. Atnaw (PhD)

Head, Sustainable Energy Centre of Excellence
Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

πŸ“ž Phone: +251944781495

πŸ“§ Email: se.coe@aastu.edu.et

πŸ“ Location: Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

About the CoE

The Sustainable Energy Centre of Excellence (SE, CoE) at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU) serves as a national hub for interdisciplinary research, innovation, and knowledge exchange in the field of sustainable energy. Established with a mandate to support Ethiopia's energy transformation, the Centre brings together expertise from across disciplines to address the country's diverse and evolving energy challenges.

Our research and development efforts are structured around six strategic thematic areas that reflect national priorities and global sustainability goals:

πŸ’§ Hydropower
β˜€οΈ Solar Energy
🌿 Biomass Energy
🌬️ Wind Energy
πŸŒ‹ Geothermal
πŸ”‹ Energy Efficiency & Storage

With more than 100 members, including seasoned researchers and professionals from across AASTU, the Centre functions as a collaborative platform where science, technology, and policy intersect. This multidisciplinary team works collectively to design innovative solutions, generate evidence-based insights, and develop practical tools to enhance energy access, reliability, and sustainability.

Beyond research, SE, CoE is deeply engaged in education, outreach, and partnership development β€” supporting national capacity-building efforts and promoting technology transfer. Through its initiatives, the Centre strives to strengthen the link between academic excellence and real-world impact, ensuring that knowledge generated within the university contributes directly to Ethiopia's socio-economic transformation. In addition to postgraduate program in the field of sustainable energy engineering and sciences, the center conduct short term and certification trainings tailored to specific needs of the industry.

Core Values

🌱 Sustainability
πŸ’‘ Innovation and Creativity
⚑ Practical Impact
🀝 Collaboration and Partnership

Objectives of the CoE

πŸ”¬ 1. Advance Applied Research and Innovation in Sustainable Energy
🏭 2. Strengthen Technology Transfer and Industry Linkages
πŸ“š 3. Build Capacity and Foster Knowledge Dissemination

Vision of the CoE

As part of the university's core mission in research, technological innovation, and industry linkage, the center envisions building the national capacity of Ethiopia to become a leader in the field of clean and sustainable energy by transforming research outputs into practical industrial solutions.

Mission of the CoE

The Centre's mission is to serve as a hub of knowledge and innovation by conducting problem-solving and cutting-edge research focused on the needs of society, adapting and transferring technologies, and supporting industries to enhance their productivity and competitiveness.

Identified Thematic Research Areas of the CoE

β˜€οΈπŸ’§ Solar and Hydropower Energy Integration
πŸŒ‹πŸŒ¬οΈ Geothermal and Wind Energy Development
πŸŒΏπŸ”‹ Bioenergy, Energy Efficiency, and Energy Storage
🌍 Sustainable Energy, Environment, and Climate Resilience
πŸ“Š Energy Policy, Planning, and Innovation
πŸ‘₯ Sustainable Energy and Social Sciences

Thematic Areas and Corresponding Thematic Chairs

S.N Thematic Area Name
1 Solar Energy Dr. Misrak Girma
2 Hydropower Dr. Getachew Tegegne
3 Geothermal Energy Mr. Habtamu Wagaw
4 Wind Energy Dr. Teshome Goa
5 Biomass Energy Dr. Sintayehu Mekuria
6 Energy Efficiency and Storage Dr. Aklilu Tesfamikael
7 Energy and Environment Dr. Abebe Worku
8 Energy and Social Sciences Dr. Geremew Teklu

Research Projects

A. Internally Funded Research Grants

Title of the Project Grant Year Name of PI Status
Computational and Experimental Analysis and Performance Improvement of the Pump as a Turbine for Micro-hydropower Application 2021 Dr. Misrak G Completed
Evaluation of eco-friendly options for enhancing sustainability of lake Ziway: the case of selected watershed around lake Ziway, South east Ethiopia 2018 Mhiret Elias (MSc) Completed
Impact assessment of land use, land cover and climate change on watershed hydrology in rainfed regions of Ethiopia (Upper Blue Nile Basin) using Remote sensing, GIS, Hydrological, GCM models and Multivariate Statistical Techniques 2019 Brook Abate (PhD) Completed
Sustainable Renewable resources Optimization in Un-electrified Region in Ethiopia 2021 Abraham Debebe (PhD) Completed
Understanding the Prospects of hydropower Reservoirs System to present and future hydro-climatic variability in the Genale Dawa Basin Ethiopia 2021 Elias Bezabeh (MSc) Completed
Improving the Combustion Performance of Jatropha, soybean and caster biofuels and their blends to single cylinder compression ignition engine and to the diesel 2022 Dinku Seyoum (PhD) Completed
Nanostructured Semiconductor Materials for Photovoltaic and Photo/Electrochemical catalytic renewable fuel generation: Synthesis, Characterization and device Fabrication 2021 Getachew Adam (PhD) Completed
Assessment of climate change impacts on the meteorological, agricultural and hydrological extremes in the upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia 2021 Getachew Tegegne (PhD) On Progress
Designing improved renewable energy (wind energy) integration to the grid based on power network reliability responses 2022 Teshome Goa (PhD) On Progress
Development of Solar Box Cooker for one size family and Comparison of cooker performance, and cooking quality 2022 Arkbom Hailu (MSc) On Progress
Evaluation of Remotely sensed Actual Evapotranspiration products for water availability Assessment in Urban-Rural Continuum Catchments: The Case of Akaki Catchment, Ethiopia 2022 Yohannes Degu (PhD) On Progress
Design, Construction and Application of low-cost rooftop rainwater harvesting technologies for Domestic use in Ethiopia and produce a guideline document 2022 Abebe Worku (PhD) On Progress
Soil Erosion Estimation and Risk Assessment 2023 Israel Tessema (PhD) On Progress
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Small Scale, Wind Turbine with Blended Airfoils for Horizontal Axis Rotation 2023 Aklilu T/michael (PhD) On Progress
Simultaneous Extraction and Transesterification reaction of no-edible oilseeds triglycerides for biodiesel production using renewable resource derived heterogeneous catalyst 2023 Ali Shemsedin (PhD) On Progress
Experimental Investigation on the Effect of Mascrostachyus Biodiesel-Diesel Blend with Antioxidant on the performance and Emission Characteristics of CI Engine 2024 Samson Mekbib (PhD) On Progress
Impact of Climate and land use/cover change on River flow, soil Erosion and hydropower in the upper Awash Basin 2025 Mulugeta Admas (PhD) On Progress
Wind Energy Forecasting for Uncertainty Reduction and Grid Integration using deep learning method 2025 Milkias Berhanu (PhD) On Progress
Development and performance analysis of top lit updraft: natural draft gasifier stoves with various feed stocks β€” Arkbom Hailu On Progress

B. Externally Funded Research Grants

Title of the Project Grant Year and PI Funding Agent Status
Impacts of SGP supported Projects in Natural Resource Conservation and Improvements of Communities' Livelihood: The Case of Negele Arsi, Hawasa Zuria and Borecha woredas 2022
Dr. Bereket Tesfaye		 SGP, UNDP Completed
Access design and develop small wind turbine for water pump and household electrification for small community 2024
Dr Milkias Berhanu		 Ethiopian Water Technology Institute On Progress
Capacity Building for Synergies, Impact Assessment, and Management of International Higher Education Cooperation Funds-IMPACT HE 2024
Dr Tsedekech G/M		 EU On Progress
Solar Jobs for Young Women: Training, Certificate and job placement for solar maintenance technicians and assistant professionals, focused on young women engineers 2024
Dr. Getachew Adam		 Invest for Jobs and AASTU On Progress
Long Term Europe-Africa Partnership on Renewable Energy: Energy Village 2022
Dr. Getachew Adam		 EU and AASTU On Progress
Climate cooking stove production and test 2023
Dr. Yohaness Regassa		 Tridalhouse Completed

C. Consultancy Services

Title of the Project Grant Year Client Status
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study of the Abijata-Shalla Soda Ash 2025 Abijata-Shalla Soda Ash On Progress
Consultancy service for Supply, Installation, Commissioning and Testing of Low-Speed Weight-In-Motion System 2025 Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise On Progress

Collaborations

National

  • β–Έ Ministry of Water and Energy
  • β–Έ Ethiopian Energy Authority
  • β–Έ Ministry of Innovation and Technology
  • β–Έ Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise
  • β–Έ Midroc Investment Group and subsidiaries

Regional

  • β–Έ Addis Ababa City Administration Industry Development Bureau

International

  • β–Έ Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Researchers' Profile

Getachew Adam (PhD)
ORCID: 0000-0002-2863-1379
Aklilu T/Michael (PhD)
ORCID: 0009-0004-8322-0910
Samson Mekbib Atnaw
ORCID: 0000-0002-1220-6722
Aselefech Sorsa
ORCID: 0000-0002-8929-6965
Sintayehu Mekuria Hailegiorgis (PhD)
ORCID: 0000-0002-2943-1512
Ali Shemsedin Reshad
ORCID: 0000-0003-3695-954X
Milkias Berhanu Tuka
ORCID: 0000-0001-7223-9238
Abraham Debebe Woldeyohannes
ORCID: 0000-0001-7598-9915
Henock W. Woldemariam
ORCID: 0000-0001-8764-4834
Abebe Worku Gebeyehu
ORCID: 0009-0007-2278-3017
Belachew Zegale Tizazu (PhD)
ORCID: 0000-0001-9564-9184
Yohannes Regassa
ORCID: 0000-0001-5993-5706
Mamo Gebrezgiabher
ORCID: 0000-0003-3758-3986
Habib Mohammed Hussien
ORCID: 0000-0002-9731-537X
Yalew Woldeamanuel Sitotaw
ORCID: 0000-0003-2512-8898
Dinku Seyoum Zeleke
ORCID: 0000-0002-9877-755X
ADAMU ESUBALEW KASSA
ORCID: 0000-0002-6462-1602
Dr. Misrak Girma
ORCID: 0000-0001-5411-9929
Dr. ADAMU GIZACHEW CHANIE
ORCID: 0000-0001-6274-2964
Hailu Shimels Gebremedhen
ORCID: 0000-0001-9744-7543

Publications