Name of the Project
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Location
The GERD is located on the Abay river, in the Beneshangul Gumuz region of Ethiopia.
Project Owner/s
Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo).
Project Description
The project 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-high, roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam with a 1 780-m-long crest;
• a rock-filled saddle dam, 4 800 m long and 45 m high, with a bituminous surface 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 powerhouses 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 the discharge of floodwater directly into the Roseires reservoir.
The construction of 123 km of access roads, as well as camps, workshops and other civil works, form part of the activities for the project.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Capital Expenditure
The project is valued at $4.8-billion.
Planned Start/End Date
In January, Ethiopia's Water and Energy Minister said that, following construction delays, the dam would start production by the end of 2020 and be fully operational by 2022.
Latest Developments
The latest meeting between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the GERD may be the last chance to relaunch talks before it is filled for the second consecutive year, the Egyptian government has said.
Previous attempts at reaching an agreement over the giant dam that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile have ended in deadlock.
Ethiopia says the dam is key to its economic development and power generation. Egypt fears it will imperil its supplies of Nile water, while Sudan is concerned about the dam's safety and about regulating water flows through its own dams and water stations.
Ethiopia has said it will again fill the reservoir behind the giant hydropower dam after seasonal rains start this summer, a move that Sudan and Egypt oppose.
Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said that there will be "inconceivable instability in the region" if Egypt's water supply is affected by the dam.
Sudan is embroiled in a tense border dispute with Ethiopia over the fertile al-Fashqa region. The countries have raised the stakes in the negotiations by seeking to re-open discussions on the distribution of Nile water.
Sudan welcomed an initiative from the United Arab Emirates in March to mediate on the dam talks and the border dispute, but has also recently called for the inclusion of the United Nations, the European Union and the US as mediators.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Salini Costruttori, a subsidiary of Salini Impregilo; GE Hydro France, China Gezhouba Group Corp, Voith Hydro Shanghai and China's Sinohydro Corp (construction contract) and Alstom (turbine and generators).
Contact Details for Project Information
EEPCo, tel +251 11 1 55 95 67, fax +251 11 1 57 1860 or email eepcocommunication@yahoo.com.