Why do EthiopianS need a Grand Renaissance Dam ? getting Image
Samuel Tekleyesus Even though Ethiopia is called the water tower of Africa due to its comparatively large share of water resources, the country didn’t use its huge hydro electric power potential.Ethiopia has a huge potential to produce electricity from hydro power. Dam development in Ethiopia begins in 1932 by constructing a First Ethiopian Dam on Akaki River with 6 megawatt generation capacity.Since then Ethiopia has increased its electricity generation capacity exponential, but it is still not enough. Ethiopia is currently heavily reliant on hydropower. Currently, Ethiopia is capable of generating 4,500MW of energy, while it has a potential capacity to produce 45,000MW of hydropower, 10,000MW of geothermal and 1.3 million megawatts of wind power. According to the World Bank, Ethiopia’s strong and economic growth over the past decade has lifted its GDP to a remarkable average of 10% per year. The government has been clear about how it wants to grow the economy and in the
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Abyssinia Business Nework // ABN
process the government plans to lift as many people out of poverty. The government is going above and beyond to strengthen the capacity of the private sector and also to attract FDI to support development. Ethiopia could supply a much larger economy than today, using only twice the energy consumed now and by implementing efficiency standards. Providing electricity access to all and electrifying productive uses will lead to a much greater economic development and sustainable growth. Ethiopia can be considered as a role model of energy development for other countries in SubSaharan Africa. Why? Because by generating sufficient power not just for own use but also to become Africa’s biggest power exporter and to be a power hub for East Africa, the power generation work Ethiopia has embarked upon is impressive. One of which is the 4.8 billion dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with a generation capacity of more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity and helping extend power to the 65 million Ethiopians will be the largest hydropower project in Africa when completed in 2022. The constriction of the dam was started in early 2011.
ልዩ እትም 2012 Special Edition of GERD 2020
