Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopia expects that the Annahdah Dam it built on the Blue Nile, scheduled to be operational this September, will provide revenues of one billion dollars annually.
The “Great Ethiopian Annahdah Dam” project, which raises tension with Egypt and Sudan, was launched in 2011 with a budget amounting to four billion dollars.
It is also the largest hydroelectric project in Africa. It has a width of 1.8 kilometers and a height of 145 metres.
Addis Ababa believes that the dam is necessary for its electricity supply programme. The dam has a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters of water. It is capable of generating more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity. This is equivalent to twice Ethiopia’s current production.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said: “We expect $1 billion (in revenues) annually from this dam”. He stressed that these revenues will be invested “in other projects”.
Ahmed pointed out that Addis Ababa intends to establish “other projects such as the Grand Annahdah Dam project within the next five, ten or 15 years”.
Egypt and Sudan have previously expressed concern about the operation of the Renaissance Dam without a tripartite agreement. This is for fear that it threatens the two countries’ access to the Nile waters. Negotiations have also failed to achieve any significant progress so far.
Ahmed pointed out that “many of our friends discussed, warned, and threatened” Ethiopia against operating the dam. He stressed his country’s desire for “the Renaissance Dam not to cause concern or fears” in Cairo and Khartoum.
Ethiopia, located in East Africa, is the second most populous country on the continent, with about 130 million people. While its need for electricity is increasing.
