Ethiopia starts electricity production at Nile mega-dam

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has officially inaugurated the Grand Renaissance Dam [GERD] which is situated along the Blue Nile, despite a lack of consensus with neighbors Sudan and Egypt.

The PM, who is battling to contain violence in the Tigray region, was accompanied by high-ranking government officials when touring the power generation plant, which once completed, will effectively minimize power shortages in the country.

"This great dam was built by Ethiopians but not only for Ethiopians, rather for all our African brothers and sisters to benefit from," an official presiding at the launch ceremony told AFP.

The plant is one of the largest power generating stations in Africa but its launch had been delayed following disputes with Sudan and Egypt. The two neighbors want water to be filled in the dam in phases.

Ethiopia's downstream neighbors Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat because of their dependence on Nile waters, while Addis Ababa deems it essential for its electrification and development.

The $4.2-billion (3.7-billion-euro) project is ultimately expected to produce more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity, more than doubling Ethiopia's electricity output, AFP reports.

Recently, Ethiopia's state media reported that the dam was generating up to 375 megawatts of electricity from one of the turbines on Sunday. Abiy Ahmed had insisted that he will go on with launching plans despite the controversy surrounding its construction.

The first phase of filling the vast reservoir for the 145-meter [475-foot] dam began in mid-2020.

The reservoir's total capacity is 74 billion cubic meters, and the target for 2021 was to add 13.5 billion. Last July Ethiopia said it had added enough water to begin producing energy, though officials have not provided a specific figure and are believed to have fallen short of the target.

Particularly, Egypt has been the most aggrieved party and has often used African Union and the United States to try and dissuade Ethiopia from filling the dam without regarding the existing agreement.

In 2010 Nile basin countries, excluding Egypt and Sudan, signed another deal, the Cooperative Framework Agreement, that allows projects on the river without Cairo's agreement.

Egypt considers the dam a threat to its existence and Sudan has warned millions of lives would be at "great risk" if Ethiopia unilaterally filled the dam. Talks sponsored by the African Union [AU] have failed to yield a three-way agreement on the dam's filling and operations.

Another source of regional tension is the conflict since November 2020 in northern Ethiopia, which has sent tens of thousands of refugees fleeing across the border into Sudan.

The Tigray conflict has triggered heated debate in the country, with a number of stakeholders accusing Abiy Ahmed of failing to promote a ceasefire in the country. The country is also facing a number of internal rebellions pitting several communities.

GAROWE ONLINE