Ethiopia officially commissioned the biggest hydro-power plant in Africa – the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam at the right-hand tributary of the Nile River in Benishangul-Gumuz Region adjacent to the border with границы с Sudan. The ceremonial opening took place in the city of Goba in the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the leaders of neighbor countries – Somali, Djibouti and Kenia.
This project is the most ambitious one in the Ethiopian history. The construction of the plant commenced in 2011, and the first 375 MW hydroelectric unit was commissioned in February 2022. Since then, gradual build-up of capacity was taking place, and by the moment of official launch, the HPP reached 5,150 MW allowing for its inclusion into the TOP 20 of the biggest hydro-power plants of the world.
Overall, 13 hydroelectric units will be operating at the HPP. Its water reservoir volume is 74 bn m³, and the area – 1.8 K km².
The Renaissance Dam is viewed as the key element of the national development strategy. Today, less than 50% of households in Ethiopia have access to electricity, and the new plant can change the situation drastically by supplying power to almost 120 mln citizens. On top of that, the HPP will create opportunities of exporting electricity to neighbor countries.
The investment into the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have already exceeded USD 1.98 bn, and the final project budget, as was reported earlier, makes circa USD 5 bn. The HPP is part of the program consisting of 71 energy projects with cumulative USD 40 bn budget, which the government plans to implement during the next decade.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized that commissioning of this hydro-power plant will become “a new starting point” for East Africa. According to him, this facility was created not only for covering the internal needs of the country, but “for the sake of prosperity and energy integration of the entire region”.
