New hydropower plant to double Ethiopia’s electricity production capacity

The official inauguration ceremony of the first turbine of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile in western Ethiopia took place on February 20, 2022. Attendees witnessed the production of the site’s very first megawatts, the result of more than 10 years of work. Upon completion, 13 turbines in total will represent a capacity of 5,150 megawatts, thus doubling the country's electricity production capacity. Our hydropower experts have been part of this milestone project since 2011 as Client Representative, as well as in charge of supervision and coordination of the design and construction works. 

Prime Minister launches production of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam 

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed presided over the inauguration of the GERD project and pushed the buttons to launch the production of its first megawatts. He said on Twitter, "This is good news for our continent and for the downstream countries we aspire to work with". 

Africa’s largest dam, largest hydroelectric scheme 

The project is intended to contribute to the development of the Ethiopian economy by stimulating economic and industrial activity via this enormous additional energy potential. The GERD is Africa’s largest dam and, when completed, the power station will double national energy production capacity. With an estimated capacity of 5,150 megawatts, the site will boast the largest installed capacity on the continent.  

Tractebel and partners: over a decade dedicated to GERD  

Our hydropower experts are particularly proud of this successful milestone, which underscores our commitment to Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) to help it meet the challenges of this strategic project. Tractebel, in a consortium with Electroconsult (Italy), has been working on this project alongside EEP since 2011, providing consultancy services as Employer’s Representative as well as supervising and coordinating the design and construction works. 

A technically complex project 

The GERD is composed of several structures, including: 

- Main 145m-high roller compacted concrete (RCC) dam with a 1.8-km crest and a planned volume of 10.1 million m3 
- Gated spillway with a capacity of 14,700 m3 per second 
- 45m-high saddle dam, 5.2-km long and made of 17 million m3 of rockfill 
- 2 power houses on each side of the dam, equipped with 7 and 6 Francis turbines respectively, with a total installed capacity of 5,150 MW 
- 280 km of single-circuit, 400 kV transmission line  

All 13 turbines are estimated to be commissioned by 2024. 

13 turbines in total will represent a capacity of 5,150 megawatts, doubling Ethiopia's electricity production capacity

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile in western Ethiopia, Africa's largest dam

“Witnessing the commissioning of the first turbine of this monumental project was a very proud moment for our teams and partners. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will have a major impact on not only the region, but on all of Ethiopia and neighbouring countries. Doubling the country’s electricity production capacity - through a low-carbon, sustainable energy source - will provide a significant economic boost via increased potential for industrial activities. We look forward to continuing our efforts to see all 13 turbines in action.” 

Olivier Jullien, Project Director - Hydraulics 

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