Ethiopia is endowed with various and diversified renewable energy resources, namely hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. The estimated exploitable potential for hydropower is 45 GW, the wind is 10 GW, geothermal is 5 GW, and solar irradiation ranges from 4.5 kWh/m2/day to 7.5 kWh/m2/day (2020). The country has a substantial amount of biomass residues, which are not currently being utilized and collected, that can be used without negatively affecting the socio-economic as well as environmental requirements and without compromising food security.

Ethiopia’s energy sector is highly dependent on biomass (firewood, charcoal, crop residues, and animal dung). However, there is an urgent need to define and adopt sustainability criteria that could enhance food security, rural development, poverty alleviation, land rights and tenure, environmental protection, social equity and wellbeing, cultural heritage, and macroeconomic impacts. The inception of Bioenergy Ethiopia is to create the best possible platform for promoting and developing the sector in Ethiopia. The event is meticulously planned to be the meeting point for the sector stakeholders to gather under one roof, with an overall mission of accelerating the sector growth.