Overview

• Ethiopia opened the $5 billion GERD on the Blue Nile, a 145-metre-high, nearly two-kilometre-long dam with a reservoir of about 74 billion cubic metres designed to generate roughly 5,000–5,150 megawatts.
• Power generation began in 2022 with two turbines producing about 750 megawatts, and officials say the project will expand electricity access at home and enable exports across East Africa.
• Egypt and Sudan, which rely heavily on the Nile, denounce unilateral operation as a breach of international law; Cairo calls the dam an existential threat and says it will take measures allowed under international law.
• Kenya’s William Ruto and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended the inauguration, while leaders of Egypt and Sudan did not, underscoring ongoing diplomatic strains.
• Ethiopia says the project was largely self-financed through the central bank and public bonds, and experts note coordinated operations could curb floods and help manage droughts, though safety and release timing remain key concerns.