IMPACTS OF POWER INTERUPTIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

This thesis examines the impacts of power interruptions on the construction sector in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. As rapid urbanization and infrastructure development accelerate in the city, reliable electricity supply has become critical for maintaining construction project schedules, costs, and overall productivity. However, frequent and prolonged outages in the medium-voltage distribution network pose significant challenges to construction firms operating in the city. Through a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 12 construction firms representing both public and private sectors via questionnaires, and from five key informants including utility experts and construction managers via interviews. The study focused on understanding the frequency, duration, and causes of power interruptions, evaluating the specific impacts on project delays and cost overruns, identifying the most affected operational areas, and exploring current coping strategies and stakeholder recommendations. Findings revealed that power outages typically occur on a weekly basis, lasting between one and three hours. The main causes were identified as technical faults related to aging infrastructure, overloading of transformers and lines, planned load shedding during peak demand, adverse weather conditions, and accidental damage by external construction activities. These outages result in tangible project delays, typically ranging from one to four weeks, and cost increases primarily between 5% and 15% of project budgets. The most disrupted operational areas include machinery downtime, lighting and safety, material processing, and site communication. Currently, construction firms rely predominantly on diesel generators, rescheduling of power dependent tasks, and material stockpiling as mitigation strategies. However, these solutions are costly, environmentally unsustainable, and only partially effective. Stakeholders emphasized the need for improved communication and advance outage notifications by utility providers, targeted infrastructure upgrades prioritizing construction hubs, promotion of sustainable backup power alternatives, and dedicated power reliability agreements to support critical construction projects. This study concludes that addressing the infrastructural and operational weaknesses of the medium-voltage network through coordinated multi-stakeholder efforts is essential. The recommendations aim to enhance power reliability cost-effectively, minimize outage impacts, and support the sustained growth and urban development of Addis Ababa’s construction sector.