Ethiopia’s Nile dam project explained

Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile is 80 percent complete and expected to reach full generating capacity in 2023, making it Africa’s largest hydroelectric plant


Construction: $4 billion project announced in 2011. Expected capacity of finished dam will be more than 6,000MW

Reservoir: Ethiopia began filling in 2020. Two-year process expected
to bring water level to 595m out of eventual 632m

Blue Nile
Dam
Spillway
Reservoir
Satellite image shows dam in July 2020


Ethiopia: Says dam is essential to promote economic development and make sure vast majority of its people do not lack electricity

Egypt: Depends on Nile for 90 percent of its fresh water. Has pushed Ethiopia to fill reservoir over longer period and guarantee minimum flows of water

Sudan: Could gain from dam’s electricity and flood mitigation, but has called for information sharing to minimise impact on its own dams


Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)
Nile
EGYPT 
SUDAN
White Nile
Blue Nile
ETHIOPIA
SOMALIA
KENYA
TANZANIA
1,000km 600 miles
YEMEN
Indian Ocean


Sources: Associated Press, Reuters 
Picture: Facebook
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