Ethiopia Opens Africa’s Largest Hydropower Dam Amid Controversy

By Jean-Pierre

Ethiopia on Tuesday, 9 September, inaugurated Africa’s largest hydropower dam, built largely with domestic resources, despite ongoing concerns from downstream countries Egypt and Sudan over water sharing on the Nile.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), situated on the Blue Nile in Guba, Benishangul-Gumuz region, is expected to generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity—doubling Ethiopia’s current power output. Part of the energy produced will be exported to neighbouring states, bolstering Addis Ababa’s ambition to become a major regional electricity supplier.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed presided over the ceremony, which coincided with the second Africa Climate Summit, drawing regional and international leaders. The dam is celebrated as Ethiopia’s flagship infrastructure project, aimed at boosting domestic power supply and spurring economic growth.

However, tensions remain high. Egypt and Sudan have long opposed the project, warning it poses a security risk and could exacerbate water shortages downstream. Ethiopia maintains that the dam will not harm neighbouring countries but rather serve as a catalyst for regional cooperation and development.

“We have no intention of harming any of the neighbouring countries,” Ethiopian Water Minister Habtam Itefa said. “The way forward is to work together for more investment. Let’s join hands to propose projects that can benefit all of us—across the Nile Basin, from Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda to the DRC, South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Egypt as well.”

Tsegay Tekleselassie, an economist at Wellesley College in the United States, told Radio France Internationale that the project has heightened regional tensions, particularly fears in Sudan and Egypt over its potential impact on the Blue Nile’s flow. “There is no doubt this is a very important moment for Ethiopians,” he added.