The people and Government of Ethiopia are funding the project, which will not only serve Ethiopia, but Sudan and Egypt as well. The latter two countries depend on the Nile River for their water although 85% of the river flows in Ethiopia. The dam’s construction is expected to create up to 12,000 jobs.
How can the dam help Ethiopia?
The dam’s hydropower generators are expected to provide electricity to 60% of Ethiopia, which Addis Ababa sees as crucial to lifting millions out of poverty. But Cairo and Khartoum fear the dam could reduce their water supplies, especially in Egypt, where the Nile supplies 97% of fresh water.
Who is paying for the GERD?
Who’s paying the bills? Ethiopian leaders have taken unusual steps to fund the GERD, which is projected to cost $4.8 billion. Typically such projects are financed through Western international organizations such as the World Bank.
How was Gerd financed?
Ethiopia is forced to finance the GERD with crowd funding through internal fund raising in the form of selling bond and persuading employees to contribute a portion of their incomes.
Why did Ethiopia build a dam?
Ethiopians see building the dam as a fundamental right, one that could bring electricity to the more than half of Ethiopians who don’t have access at home. Egyptians see their fate potentially falling into foreign hands.
Which is the largest dam in Africa?
On completion the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be the largest dam in Africa: 1,800m long, 155m high and with a total volume of 74,000 million m³. The dam has a 15000 cubic metre per second spillway and a rockfill saddle dam 5km long and 50 metres high.
What was the first dam in Ethiopia?
The first large hydropower plant in Ethiopia, the Tekeze dam, was out of production for most of its first year after commissioning because of drought. The distribution of dams over two different river basins reduces somewhat the risk of drought, which nevertheless remains substantial.
What is the biggest dam in the world?
Kariba Dam, Zimbabwe
Kariba Dam is the world’s biggest dam based on water storage capacity. Located at the former Kariwa (Kariba) Gorge, the dam creates Lake Kariba, which has a storage capacity of 185 billion cubic metres of water and a surface area of 5,580km2.
Who is building GERD?
It will take between 4 and 7 years to fill with water, depending on hydrologic conditions during the filling period and agreements reached between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt.
…
| Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam | |
|---|---|
| Opening date | July 2020 |
| Construction cost | $5 billion USD |
| Owner(s) | Ethiopian Electric Power |
| Dam and spillways | |
How GERD will benefit Ethiopia?
The benefits of GERD is not limited to power supply to Ethiopia, it can benefit Sudan and Egypt by removing up to 86% of silt and sedimentation. It will regulate the steady water flow throughout the year and it will avoid un-expected flooding to downstream countries.
Is the Gerd finished?
Solving the major problems, undertaking continuous follow-up, assessment and evaluation has enabled the country to return the process of the construction of the massive power plant on the right truck. Therefore, the GERD will be fully operational by 2023 as per the reschedule,” he said.
How big is GERD?
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a 6,450 MW hydropower project nearing completion on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, located about 30 km upstream of the border with Sudan. It will be the largest hydropower project in Africa.
Why does Egypt not want the dam to be built?
Egypt, fearing major disruptions to its access to the Nile’s waters, originally intended to prevent even the start of the GERD’s construction. Indeed, Egypt has called the filling of the dam an existential threat, as it fears the dam will negatively impact the country’s water supplies.
Did the Nile River ever dry up?
In harsh and arid seasons and droughts the Blue Nile dries out completely. The flow of the Blue Nile varies considerably over its yearly cycle and is the main contribution to the large natural variation of the Nile flow.
How much of the Nile is in Ethiopia?
Spanning more than 4,200 miles, it is the longest river in the world. It has also become clear that the volume of water which flows through the Nile is relatively small—a mere two percent in volume of the Amazon’s and fifteen percent of the Mississippi—and mostly (86%) from Ethiopia.
Is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam finished?
The first ‘era’ is the period in which the reservoir will be filled. As of August 2020, construction of the GERD was over 70% percent complete, and Ethiopia has completed the first year filling of the reservoir by impounding 4.9 bcm.