Ethiopia announces third filling of GERD as second turbine starts power generation

ADDIS ABABA: The Ethiopian government has announced the completion of third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The GERD’s completion of third filling comes a day after Ethiopia disclosed electricity generation from the second turbine of the dam.

Announcing the completion of the third filling, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated that Ethiopia is working to ensure the benefits of the lower basin countries.

The construction of the 6,500-MW hydroelectric dam, which was started back in April 2011 on the Blue Nile river along the Sudanese border, will be regarded as Africa’s largest dam once completed with a total volume of about 74,000 billion cubic meters.

For centuries, the diplomatic relations among Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan has been largely twisted with the Blue Nile River that originates from Ethiopia and shared among the three countries.

PM @AbiyAhmedAli announced the successful completion of the GERD's 3rd filling. PM Abiy stated that Abbay is our gift, & it is Ethiopia’s responsibility to use it, while also emphasizing that the three basin countries share in this gift. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/TnytkYQlv6

— Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) August 12, 2022

Egypt, a downstream Nile Basin country, has been frequently expressing its concern that Ethiopia’s mega-dam might affect its share of the river water, while the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly vowed that the dam will not harm Egypt.

On Thursday, Ethiopia launched electricity generation from the second turbine of the GERD, eventually increasing the hydroelectric dam’s power generation capacity to 540MW.

(Photo – PM Office)