Name and Location
Grand Renaissance dam hydropower project, Ethiopia.

Client
Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo).

Project Description
The Grand Renaissance dam hydropower project, located on the Abay river, in the Beneshangul Gumuz region, envisages a plant with an installed capacity of 6 000 MW that will supply 15 692 GWh/y.

The major components of the project include:
• a 145-m-heigh roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam with a 1 780-m-long crest;
• a saddle dam, 4 800 m long and 45 m high, will be rock-filled, with 24 upstream bituminous facing;
• two outdoor powerhouses of 3 750 MW and 2 250 MW installed capacity, containing ten and six generating units respectively, each with a capacity of 375 MW; and
• a 500 kV switchyard, which will transmit power from the two power houses to the grid.

The main dam and saddle dam will create 74-billion cubic metres of impounding capacity, with a surface area of 1 680 km² at full capacity.

A gated spillway, equipped with six radial gates and a discharge capacity of 14 700 m³/s at probable maximum flood occurrence will be located on the left side of the main dam.

A saddle dam on the left side of the RCC dam, with an emergency side spillway is envisaged to allow for flood discharged directly into the Roseires reservoir.

Construction of 123 km access roads, camps, workshops and other civil works is part of the activities for the project.

Value
The project is valued at an estimated $4.8-billion.

Duration
Completion is expected by 2015.

Latest Developments
EEPCo has signed a financing and construction agreement for a high-voltage transmission line to evacuate electricity from the Renaissance hydroelectric plant.

This comes after State-owned EEPCo awarded China Electric Power Equipment & Technology Company the contract to implement the project, with a price tag of $1.2-billion.

The Chinese firm will also be responsible for raising $1-billion, or 85% of the project cost, while the Ethiopian government is expected to provide the balance.

Construction of the transmission line and the ongoing construction of the $4.8-billion hydropower dam on the River Nile are expected to be completed in 2015.

The 500 kV double-circuit transmission line will stretch 1 238 km from the Renaissance dam to Dedesa to Holeta.

 Key Contracts and Suppliers
Alstom (turbine and generators).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
EEPCo, tel +251 11 1 55 95 67, fax +251 11 1 57 1860 or email eepcocommunication@yahoo.com.
Alstom VP corporate external communications, Christine Rahard-Burnat, tel +33 1 41 49 32 95 or
email Christine.rahard@chq.alstom.com.