Ethiopia has completed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a massive project that has sparked tension with Egypt and Sudan over the years.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the completion on Thursday, saying the dam will be officially inaugurated in September.
Speaking to parliament, he said, “The project is now complete, and we are preparing for its official inauguration.”
As reported by France 24, Abiy also addressed concerns from neighbouring countries, adding, “To our neighbours downstream, Egypt and Sudan, our message is clear: the Renaissance Dam is not a threat, but a shared opportunity. The energy and development it will generate stand to uplift not just Ethiopia.”
Earlier in the week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Both leaders reaffirmed their opposition to what they described as unilateral actions in the Blue Nile Basin.
Sisi’s spokesman said they remain committed to “safeguarding water security” in the region.
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The dam, which is 1.8 kilometres wide and 145 metres high, can hold up to 74 billion cubic metres of water when full and generate more than 5,000 megawatts of power, more than doubling Ethiopia’s current electricity output.
The $4-billion GERD, the largest hydroelectric project in Africa, was first proposed in 2011 and has been a major concern for Egypt ever since.
Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 97% of its water, fears the dam will reduce the flow it depends on for survival.
In July 2023, leaders from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan agreed to hold urgent talks on how the dam would be filled and operated.
But by December, Egypt announced it would closely monitor the dam’s filling and operations as negotiations had not produced results.
While Egypt sees the project as a threat, Ethiopia views the dam as key to its development plans and began generating power from it in February 2022.
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Image Credit: Arise News
