Ethiopia is now home to the largest hydroeletric dam in Africa. The official inauguration ceremony of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) took place September 9, with it being described as a “great achievement not only for Ethiopia but for all Africans”.
The £3.7 billion dam, constructed between 2011 and 2023, is located on a tributary of the River Nile, and will provide energy to millions of residents in Ethiopia — the second most populous nation in Africa. According to local media the dam which has an installed capcity of 5,150 megawatts was funded without any foreign assistance. Ethiopia’s central bank provided 91% of the finances, while the rest was provided by Ethiopians through bond sales and gifts.
Ethiopia’s Prime minister, Abiy Ahmed has said that the dam will be used to improve citizens’ access to electricity, as well as exporting surplus power to the region.
However, the project has caused tension with another major nation in Africa.
Egypt, which built its own Aswan High Dam on the Nile in the 1960s, reports France 24 that it has concerns that the GERD could restrict its water supply during periods of drought and lead to the construction of other upstream dams.
The country, home to about 108 million people, also relies on the Nile for 90% of its fresh water.
On Monday (September 8), Tamim Khallaf, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson, told Reuters that Egypt will continue to keep an eye on the Blue Nile and “exercise its right to take all the appropriate measures to defend and protect the interests of the Egyptian people.
Egypt has been against the plans of GERD since the beginning, arguing that it poses a threat and violates water treaties from the British colonial era.
Sudan is currently backing Egypt’s calls for legally binding agreements on the dam’s filling and operation, in which it could potentially benefit from better flood management and access to cheap energy.
President Donald Trump also supported Cairo’s positioning on the matter during his first term. He said that it was a dangerous situation and that Cairo could end up “blowing up that dam”, but his administration was unable to secure a deal on the project.
Despite backlash, Ethiopia continued with the project, insiting that it is a sovereign right. In 2020, the country began filling the reservoir in stages whilst arguing that the dam would not harm downstream countries.
In July, Mr Abiy told parliament: “The Renaissance Dam is not a threat, but a shared opportunity. The energy and development it will generate stand to uplift not just Ethiopia.”
Independent studies suggest that over the past five years, downstream flows have remained largely unaffected, partly due to favourable rainfall and the careful, seasonal filling of the reservoir.
The dam has flooded an area larger than Greater London, which according to Ethiopia’s government will provide a steady water supply for hydropower and irrigation downstream, whilst reducing the risk of floods and drought.
However, residents in rural areas, will have to wait to benefit from the extra power as only half are connected to the country’s national grid.