Ethiopia's mega-dam on the Nile is "now complete", Prime Minister says

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday that a controversial multi-billion-dollar mega-dam on the Blue Nile was now complete. 

Abiy told lawmakers that the dam would be inaugurated in September.  

The completion of the project, known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), is a major milestone for the country. 

The construction began in 2011 with a $4 billion budget. The dam is located about 500 kilometres northwest of the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

With its 1,800 metres long and 175 metres high, it is now the largest in Africa. It is backed by a reservoir that can hold up to 74 billion cubic metres of water, according to the main contractor.

The project became a source of tensions with neighbouring Egypt and Sudan, over equitable sharing of the water.  

Egypt said the dam would deplete its share of Nile River waters, and has referred to it as an existential threat. 

Negotiations between Ethiopia and Egypt over the years have not led to an agreement. Questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a drought occurs.  

Speaking in parliament, Abiy said his country “remains committed to ensuring that our growth does not come at the expense of our Egyptian and Sudanese brothers and sisters.”

“We believe in shared progress, shared energy, and shared water”, he said. “Prosperity for one should mean prosperity for all.”

The dam began producing power in 2022. It is expected to ultimately produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity, double Ethiopia’s current output. 

The country insists the dam is a crucial development that will help pull millions of its citizens out of poverty and become a major power exporter.