Addis Ababa, April 2, 2016 (WIC) – A study has confirmed that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) could generate over 6,000MW of electricity, Dr Debretsion Gebremichael, Deputy Prime Minister for Finance and Economic Cluster and Minister of Communication and Information Technology said.
The dam, which is under construction on the Abay (Blue Nile) river, has reached to the level where it could generate hundreds of additional megawatts with the 74 billion cubic meters of water it will hold and without additional cost, he said.
The amount of additional power the dam generates will be announced when the study being conducted by Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC) is completed, Dr Debretsion indicated.
Designed to have an installed capacity of 5,250 MW initially, GERD was upgraded to 6,000MW as a result of the study conducted by METEC, a firm tasked to carry out the electro-mechanical works of the project, he added.
Launched in April 2, 2011, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is now more than halfway complete and reached at a level where it could impound water.
The fifth anniversary of GERD construction commencement will be marked tomorrow.
The people and government of Ethiopia are funding the project, which will not only serve Ethiopia, but also Sudan and Egypt.
The dam will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa once completed.