- The state owned news agency of Ethiopia has announced that it has attained its second-year target for filling of the GERD on the Blue Nile River.
- This is the second filling of the mega hydro dam, tensions in the region rose when the first filling was carried out around the same time last year. Read more
Ethiopia has maintained its right to the project saying the dam is on its Blue Nile and is crucial to the country’s economic development. It will also provide much needed power to its population. They are adamant that the dam will be filled. Read more
Related news: Plans for a dam across the nile triggered a war in 1956. Will it happen again?
GERD negotiating team member, Dr. Yilma Sileshi said the completion of the second phase filling of the dam is a big chapter to realization the ultimate objectives of the project.
The second round impoundment of the dam is a big achievement that clears the confusions raised by some international actors and the two downstream countries that Ethiopia can’t fill the dam successfully, he pointed out.
“By resisting the pressures imposed by Egypt, Sudan and their allies for the last months, we have reached to the current level by fully committed to all responsibilities,” he pointed out.
GERD is Africa’s biggest hydroproject
The project is being developed by state-owned public utility enterprise Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation. The Grand Renaissance Dam will be the biggest hydropower station in Africa and the dam itself will have a surface area of 1874 km2 when fully completed.
The 6450MW facility comprises a concrete gravity dam on the Blue Nile River with a storage capacity of 70 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water, one outdoor powerhouse on each bank of the river, three spillways, and a saddle dam.
The powerhouse on the right bank will be equipped with ten 375MW Francis turbine generator sets while the left bank powerhouse will have six similar capacity turbine generators. Each turbine will be driven by the water flow through an 8m-diametre, 180m-long penstock.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
