Egypt Daily News – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is now 100% complete, having stored a significant volume of water while ensuring no adverse effects on downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan.
He emphasized Ethiopia’s intention to fulfill its development ambitions without harming its neighbors, affirming a commitment to assist them in times of water shortage.
During a TV interview at the dam site in the Benishangul region, Abiy Ahmed described the completion of the GERD as a landmark accomplishment for both Ethiopia and the continent.
He mentioned that the dam’s reservoir currently holds 62.5 billion cubic meters of water, with projections to reach between 70 to 71 billion cubic meters by December, close to its total capacity of 74 billion cubic meters.
Additionally, he stated that three more turbines are set to become operational next month, increasing the total to seven, and that the dam has been reserving 900 million cubic meters of water daily recently.
The Prime Minister addressed previous financing concerns, asserting that Ethiopia has overcome such challenges, and he noted that the dam’s reservoir covers an area of 210 kilometers with a depth of 130 meters.
Furthermore, Seleshi Bekele, head of the Ethiopian negotiation committee, confirmed via social media that the dam’s construction is nearing its final stages and that it aims to achieve a total power generation capacity of 5,150 megawatts, potentially making it the largest hydropower facility in Africa.
This declaration comes despite ongoing tensions, as no formal agreement has been reached with Egypt and Sudan following negotiations that concluded in December.
