Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has announced the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a major hydroelectric project on the Blue Nile that has stirred tensions with neighbouring countries for over a decade.
Addressing parliament on Thursday, Abiy confirmed that preparations are being made for the dam’s official inauguration, scheduled for September. “The Renaissance Dam is now complete,” he stated.
Construction of the vast structure began in 2011 with an estimated cost of $4 billion. Spanning 1.8 kilometres and standing 145 metres tall, GERD is the largest hydroelectric facility in Africa and a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s national energy strategy.
While the Ethiopian government views the dam as essential for economic development and electrification, downstream countries Egypt and Sudan have long raised concerns about the potential impact on their water resources.
Abiy sought to ease such concerns, saying, “To our neighbours downstream — Egypt and Sudan — our message is clear: the Renaissance Dam is not a threat, but a shared opportunity.”
Located in Ethiopia’s northwest, roughly 30 kilometres from the Sudanese border, GERD began producing electricity in February 2022. When fully operational, it will have the capacity to store up to 74 billion cubic metres of water and generate more than 5,000 megawatts of power — a significant boost for the region’s energy needs.
