Ethiopia starts generating power at the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa

Ethiopia started producing electrical energy from its mega-dam on the Blue Nile on Sunday, a milestone within the controversial multi-billion greenback undertaking.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accompanied by high-ranking officers, toured the facility station and pressed a collection of buttons on an digital display screen, a transfer that officers mentioned initiated manufacturing.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is ready to be the biggest hydroelectric scheme in Africa however has been on the centre of a dispute with downstream nations Egypt and Sudan ever since work first started in 2011.

Abiy described Sunday’s improvement as “the beginning of a brand new period”.

“It is a excellent news for our continent & the downstream international locations with whom we aspire to work collectively,” he mentioned on Twitter.

Addis Ababa deems the undertaking important for the electrification and improvement of Africa’s second most populous nation, however Cairo and Khartoum worry it may threaten their entry to important Nile waters.

Abiy dismissed these issues.

“As you’ll be able to see this water will generate vitality whereas flowing because it beforehand flowed to Sudan and Egypt, in contrast to the rumours that say the Ethiopian individuals and authorities are damming the water to starve Egypt and Sudan,” he mentioned as water rushed by way of the concrete colossus behind him.

However Cairo denounced Sunday’s start-up, saying Addis Ababa was “persisting in its violations” of a 2015 declaration of ideas on the undertaking.

 ‘Resisting exterior stress’ 

The $4.2 billion (about R63 billion) dam is in the end anticipated to provide greater than 5 000 megawatts of electrical energy, greater than doubling Ethiopia’s present output.

Solely one in all 13 generators is presently operational, with a capability of 375 megawatts.

A second will come on-line inside a couple of months, undertaking supervisor Kifle Horo advised AFP, including that the dam is presently anticipated to be totally accomplished in 2024.

The 145-metre  excessive construction straddles the Blue Nile within the Benishangul-Gumuz area of western Ethiopia, close to the border with Sudan.

Egypt, which relies on the Nile for about 97 % of its irrigation and consuming water, sees it as an existential menace.

Sudan hopes the undertaking will regulate annual flooding, however fears its personal dams might be harmed with out settlement on the GERD’s operation.

Each have lengthy been pushing for a binding deal over the filling and operation of the huge dam, however African Union-sponsored talks have failed to attain a breakthrough.

William Davison, senior analyst on the Worldwide Disaster Group, mentioned the GERD is seen domestically “as a logo of Ethiopia resisting exterior stress”.

“The federal government has propagated the concept that international actors are attempting to undermine Ethiopia’s sovereignty, so I feel this will likely be forged as displaying they’re nonetheless making progress regardless of a hostile setting.”

Addisu Lashitew of the Brookings Establishment in Washington described the GERD’s commissioning as a “uncommon constructive improvement that may unite a deeply fractured nation” after 15 months of brutal battle with Tigrayan rebels.

“The newly-generated electrical energy from the GERD may assist revive an economic system that has been devastated by the mixed forces of a lethal conflict, rising gasoline costs and the Covid-19 pandemic,” he mentioned.

 Mission delays 

The dam was initiated below former prime minister Meles Zenawi, the Tigrayan chief who dominated Ethiopia for greater than 20 years till his demise in 2012.

Civil servants contributed one month’s wage in the direction of the undertaking within the yr it launched, and the federal government has since issued dam bonds focusing on Ethiopians at residence and overseas.

Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray Folks’s Liberation Entrance that has been at conflict with authorities forces since November 2020, mentioned Abiy was taking credit score for a undertaking launched below a Tigrayan-led authorities.

“As we speak #AbiyAhmed is making an attempt to money in on a undertaking that he as soon as publicly downplayed as a meaningless publicity stunt,” he tweeted.

However officers on Sunday credited Abiy with reviving the dam after delays they declare had been attributable to mismanagement.

“Our nation has misplaced a lot as a result of the dam was delayed, particularly financially,” undertaking supervisor Kifle mentioned.

The method of filling the huge reservoir started in 2020, with Ethiopia asserting in July of that yr it had hit its goal of 4.9 billion cubic metres.

The reservoir’s complete capability is 74 billion cubic metres, and the goal for 2021 was so as to add 13.5 billion.

Final July Ethiopia mentioned it had hit that concentrate on, that means there was sufficient water to start producing vitality, though some consultants had forged doubt on the claims.

Kifle declined to disclose how a lot water was collected final yr or what the goal is for the approaching wet season.