Overview

• Ethiopia officially opened the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on 9 September after construction that began in 2011 and partial power generation since early 2022.
• The hydropower complex is designed for about 6,000 megawatts, with 13 turbines slated for operation after an initial phase that used two units producing 375 megawatts.
• Officials cast the project as a national development engine in a country where roughly 60 percent of people lack electricity.
• The €3.4 billion project was largely financed domestically with reported roles for the World Bank, IMF and Chinese banks in equipment, and Ethiopia is already selling electricity to neighbors including Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania.
• Egypt and Sudan oppose operation without a binding release pact and warn of downstream shortages, with drought‑time water releases still unspecified.