Historic Milestone: Ethiopia to Inaugurate Grand Renaissance Dam on September 9, Marking Africa’s Largest Hydropower Project

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By irene 

Ethiopia will officially inaugurate and fully commission the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on September 9, 2025, in what will be a historic moment for the country and the African continent. The announcement was made by H.E. Ambassador Demeke Atnafu, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Kenya, who hailed the project as a turning point for Ethiopia’s future and a beacon of regional cooperation.

With an installed capacity of 5,150 megawatts and the ability to generate nearly 15,690 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, the GERD is set to dramatically transform Ethiopia’s energy sector, meeting rising domestic demand while powering regional growth.

Financed exclusively through domestic resources—including contributions from ordinary citizens—the GERD has become a symbol of national unity, self-reliance, and resilience. The government projects that the dam will be central to meeting the energy needs of Ethiopia’s fast-growing population, expected to hit 230 million by 2030.

> “The GERD is more than a dam—it is a foundation for a dignified future for Ethiopians and a catalyst for regional integration,” said Ambassador Atnafu.



Regional Benefits Beyond Borders

Situated on the Blue Nile, the GERD has already demonstrated benefits beyond Ethiopia. By regulating river flow, the dam has helped ease seasonal flooding in Sudan, reduced sedimentation, and improved water management. Its storage capacity also minimizes evaporation losses and ensures more predictable electricity production, offering potential long-term gains for downstream nations, including Egypt.

Reshaping Nile Diplomacy

The dam has redefined Nile Basin politics, long dominated by colonial-era treaties that disproportionately favored Egypt. Ethiopia and other riparian states have rejected these agreements as outdated and unjust, instead pushing for equitable water-sharing principles aligned with international law.

Ethiopia has shown transparency by opening the project to regional scrutiny, sharing over 150 design documents with the International Panel of Experts, and signing the 2015 Declaration of Principles with Egypt and Sudan. It has also entered into data-sharing agreements with Sudan, while extending a similar offer to Egypt, which declined.

Ongoing Disputes and the Road Ahead

Despite progress, negotiations remain tense. Ethiopia accuses Egypt of clinging to colonial-era privileges, while Egypt continues to demand guaranteed water flows that Ethiopia deems unsustainable. Cairo has also resisted the full operationalization of the Nile River Basin Commission, a key body under the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) that came into force in 2024.

Ambassador Atnafu stressed that urgent agreements on GERD operations are unnecessary, as the dam does not pose a threat to regional water security. Instead, he emphasized dialogue and cooperation.

> “The way forward lies in dialogue based on equity and shared prosperity,” he said. “The missing element is Egypt’s readiness to move beyond colonial-era claims and embrace cooperation through the basin-wide framework.”



As the GERD prepares to begin full operations, it stands as both a symbol of Ethiopian resilience and a test of regional diplomacy, embodying Africa’s push toward self-reliant development and collective stewardship of shared resources.





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