Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Thursday announced the completion of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project on the Blue Nile River and preparations now underway for its official inauguration in September.
“The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is now complete, and we are preparing for its official inauguration,” Abiy told parliament on Thursday.
Noting that the GERD is a shared opportunity to downstream countries, the Ethiopian leader extended an invitation to the governments and peoples of Egypt, Sudan, and all Nile Basin nations to join Ethiopia in the inaugural celebration of the dam.
Both Egypt and Sudan have opposed the building of the dam, insisting despite Ethiopian denials that the project will compromise their natural share of water from the world’s longest river.
“Ethiopians remain committed to ensuring that our growth should not come at the expense of our Egyptian and Sudanese brothers and sisters. We believe in shared progress, shared energy, and shared water,” Abiy said.
“To our neighbours downstream—Egypt and Sudan—our message is clear: the Renaissance Dam is not a threat, but a shared opportunity,” he said.
He added that “Egypt’s Aswan Dam has never lost a single liter of water due to the GERD”.
Upon completion, the GERD will have a total generating capacity of 5,150 megawatts and is expected to produce 15,760 GWh of electricity annually, according to Ethiopian Electric Power.
Construction of the GERD began in April 2011.
The project has been a longstanding source of tension between Ethiopia and downstream countries Sudan and Egypt.
Ethiopia views the dam as central to its development ambitions and pursuit of lower-middle-income status, but Egypt and Sudan have voiced concerns over potential impacts on their water security.
MG/as/APA