Overview

• The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is set to open Tuesday, with a planned capacity above 5,000 megawatts that Ethiopia says will roughly double national power generation and support electricity exports.
• Egypt and Sudan warn the project breaches international law and poses grave risks to their water security, with Cairo calling potential cuts to Nile supplies an existential threat.
• Ethiopia maintains the project is a regional benefit, says it has shared river flow data and is honoring the 2015 Declaration of Principles, and invites further technical cooperation.
• Built largely without major international lenders, the $5 billion project was funded through government bonds and public contributions, with Chinese loans limited to auxiliary infrastructure.
• Experts say Sudan, immediately downstream, will experience the dam’s effects first and emphasize the need for coordinated water releases and robust dam safety protocols.