Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Ethiopian prime minister, inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which happens to be the largest hydropower project ever built in Africa. The inauguration took place on September 9, 2025.
Apparently, it was Webuild from Italy that began work on it in 2011.
According to Webuild, the dam happens to have an installed generating capacity of over 5 GW and anticipates a yearly output of 15,700 GWh, which, as per the company, is going to be equivalent to the capacity of three medium-sized nuclear power plants.
It is going to double the electricity generation of Ethiopia, which happens to be the second most populous country in Africa, and thereby will allow it to export electricity to countries such as Djibouti, Sudan, and Tanzania, as well as Yemen.
Apparently, its reservoir happens to be 172 km long and can go on to hold 74 billion cubic meters of water.
It is well to be noted that the main dam is approximately 170 m high and 1,800 m long, having a volume of 10.7 million cum of concrete, which, as per Webuild, happens to be the largest roller-compacted concrete gravity dam that has ever been built in Africa.
Over 25,000 people, who were mostly Ethiopians, happened to work on the project, remarked Webuild.
Across the span of some years, a new town has come up at the site of the school, with a hospital as well as sports facilities.
Egypt is a bit wary of it
It is worth noting that Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam happens to be fed by the Blue Nile, which is the tributary of the Nile that, by the way, Egypt depends on for water.
Ever since 2011, the GERD has been the base of serious tension between both countries because of the fact that Egypt fears it is going to hamper its water supply.
There have been numerous efforts to mediate between the two countries that have taken place, which also include efforts by the White House during the first term of Donald Trump, which, by the way, yielded no results.
The minister of foreign affairs of Egypt, Badr Abdelatty, on September 9, 2025, called the unilateral construction and filling of the GERD by Ethiopia illegal as per the international law, noting that Ethiopia went ahead with the project without an agreement in advance with the downstream countries.
Badr Abdelatty said Egypt has all the rights under international law to defend its water interests if they get harmed.
