The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will be completed in seven months and will be an event of great significance for the whole of Africa, the local media reported, citing Ethiopian government spokesman Gideon Asfaw.
“The project is now 95% complete, all work is scheduled to be completed in seven months. The commissioning of the dam and the hydroelectric power station located on it will be an event of great significance for the whole of Africa, especially for its eastern part. It will not only be the most powerful hydropower facility on the continent, but it will help fight floods and optimize connections between the energy systems of Ethiopia and its neighbors,” he reportedly said.
Asfaw noted that Ethiopia will continue to work on projects of this kind to ensure sustainable economic growth and “break out of the shackles of poverty,” according to the media.
Currently, 42 billion cubic meters of water have already been accumulated in the dam’s reservoir, and two hydroelectric power station turbines are in operation. Upon completion of the construction, the volume of the reservoir will be 74 billion cubic meters, and the surface area will be 246 square kilometers. The output of the hydroelectric power station will reach 5,150 MW. It is planned to create about 70 artificial islands on the reservoir to develop tourism.
Ethiopia began building the GERD at the Blue Nile in 2011. The $4.6 billion facility is located 30 km from the border with Sudan. It should fully provide the population of Ethiopia with electricity, and the surplus power will be exported to neighboring states. Moreover, the first energy from the hydroelectric power station was received in February 2022.
Since 2012, Ethiopia has been negotiating with Egypt and Sudan on the use of Nile water in connection with the construction of a hydroelectric power plant. Sudan and Egypt are concerned about Ethiopia's plans to manage the reservoir without an international treaty. Negotiations between the three countries have not yet resulted in an agreement.