Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD or TaIHiGe; Amharic: ታላቁ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዳሴ ግድብ, romanized: Tālāqu ye-Ītyōppyā Hidāsē Gidib, Tigrinya: ግድብ ሕዳሰ ኢትዮጵያ, Oromo: Hidha Haaromsaa Guddicha Itoophiyaa), formerly known as the Millennium Dam and sometimes referred to as the Hidase Dam (Amharic: ሕዳሴ ግድብ, romanized: Hidāsē Gidib, Oromo: Hidha Hidāsē), is a gravity dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. The dam is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 14 km (9 mi) east of the border with Sudan.
| Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ታላቁ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዳሴ ግድብ | |
|---|---|
The main dam after full filling | |
Location of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ታላቁ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዳሴ ግድብ in Ethiopia | |
| Official name |
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| Country | Ethiopia |
| Location | Guba, Benishangul-Gumuz Region |
| Coordinates | 11°12′55″N 35°05′35″E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | 2 April 2011 |
| Opening date | 21 July 2020 |
| Construction cost | US$5 billion |
| Owner(s) | Ethiopian Electric Power |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity, roller-compacted concrete |
| Impounds | Blue Nile River |
| Height | 145 m (476 ft) |
| Length | 1,780 m (5,840 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 655 m (2,149 ft) |
| Dam volume | 10,200,000 m3 (13,300,000 cu yd) |
| Spillways | 1 gated, 2 ungated |
| Spillway type | 6 sector gates for the gated spillway |
| Spillway capacity | 14,700 m3/s (520,000 cu ft/s) for the gated spillway |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Millennium Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 74×109 m3 (60,000,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Active capacity | 59.2×109 m3 (48,000,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Inactive capacity | 14.8×109 m3 (12,000,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 172,250 km2 (66,510 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 1,874 km2 (724 sq mi) |
| Maximum length | 246 km (153 mi) |
| Maximum water depth | 140 m (460 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 640 m (2,100 ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Operator(s) | Ethiopian Electric Power |
| Commission date | 2022–? |
| Type | Conventional |
| Turbines |
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| Installed capacity |
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| Capacity factor | 28.6% |
| Annual generation | 15.76 TWh (est., planned) |
| Website www | |
Constructed between 2011 and 2020, the dam's primary purpose is electricity production to relieve Ethiopia's acute energy shortage and to export electricity to neighbouring countries. With a planned installed capacity of 5.15 gigawatts, when completed, the dam would be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa and among the 20 largest in the world.
First phase of filling the reservoir began in July 2020 and in August 2020 water level increased to 540 meters (40 meters higher than the bottom of the river which is at 500 meters above sea level). The second phase of filling was completed on 19 July 2021, with water levels increased to around 575 meters. The third filling was completed on 12 August 2022 to a level of 600 metres (2,000 ft). The fourth filling was completed on 10 September 2023 with water levels at around 625 metres (2,051 ft).
On 20 February 2022, the dam produced electricity for the first time, delivering it to the grid at a rate of 375 MW. A second 375 MW turbine was commissioned in August 2022.