Ethiopia said that since two more turbines began to operate, the amount of electricity produced by its contentious mega-dam on the Blue Nile has more than doubled.
As of late Tuesday, the multibillion-dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which has long been a source of contention with Egypt and Sudan, two downstream countries, began producing 1,550 megawatts of electricity.
“The overall progress of the GERD has now transitioned from construction phase to operation phase,” it said, adding that construction of the concrete dam was now complete.
“The two turbines generating 400MW each have now started operations, adding to the already functional two turbines generating 375MW each, totalling an output of 1,550MW.”
At the dam, Ethiopia started producing power for the first time in February 2022. In the end, more over 5,000 megawatts are anticipated to be produced, more than double Ethiopia’s present capacity.
Fearing that their access to essential Nile waters may be threatened, Egypt and Sudan have expressed reservations about the dam’s operation in the absence of a three-way agreement.
The GERD is deemed necessary by Addis Ababa for the development and electrification of the second-most populous country in Africa.
