Sunita Somvanshi
Ethiopia turned on the full power of its massive Blue Nile dam on Tuesday, ending a 14-year building journey that sparked both national pride and heated disputes with neighboring countries.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) now stands as Africa’s largest hydroelectric project. At the opening ceremony, fighter jets soared over the 170-meter-high structure while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomed leaders from Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti.
“Ethiopia built the dam to prosper, to electrify the entire region,” Prime Minister Abiy told the crowd. “It is absolutely not to harm its brothers.”
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The $5 billion project can generate 5,150 megawatts of electricity – enough to place it among the 20 largest hydroelectric dams worldwide. This doubles Ethiopia’s power capacity, offering hope in a country where nearly half the population still lacks reliable electricity.
For many Ethiopians, the dam represents more than just power. They funded it themselves, with 91% coming from Ethiopia’s central bank and the rest through bonds and donations from citizens.
“We can drink cold water now. We use electricity for everything,” said Sultan Abdulahi Hassan, a farmer living near the dam site.
But not everyone celebrates. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for nearly all its fresh water, views the dam as a potential crisis. The country’s foreign ministry has promised to “take all appropriate measures” to protect Egyptian interests.
Sudan shares some of Egypt’s concerns but could also benefit from reduced flooding and new power access once transmission networks are built.
Despite years of failed negotiations between the three countries, the dam has not yet caused major water problems downstream. Experts point to good rainfall and Ethiopia’s careful approach to filling the reservoir during rainy seasons as reasons for the minimal impact so far.
The reservoir now covers an area bigger than Greater London. Ethiopian officials say it will help control water flow year-round while generating electricity that could bring in $1 billion yearly, mostly from exports to neighboring countries.
While cities in Ethiopia enjoy 94% electricity coverage, rural areas lag behind. Only about half of all Ethiopians currently have power access according to World Bank figures, with poor transmission networks being the main obstacle.
For water researcher Mekdelawit Messay, the project shows what’s possible when a country unites behind a goal. “It has been a banner to rally under, and it shows what we can achieve when unified,” she said. The dam marks a turning point for Ethiopia’s development plans, though questions remain about how water will be shared along the Nile during future dry years – a challenge that will test relationships between the region’s nations for decades to come.
