In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated this Sunday, February 20, the production of electricity from the great Renaissance dam built on the Nile. This project, destined to be the largest on the continent, is thus taking shape nearly 11 years after the start of construction work.
“The path to prosperity is open to us. Nothing can stop Ethiopia now. We will unite, come together and work together on projects like the Renaissance Dam rather than focusing on fratricidal struggles and battles that divide us,” said Abiy Ahmed, referring to clashes between his army and the rebels of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
In addition to the only turbine put into operation this weekend by the Ethiopian authorities, a second will follow in the short term, it is said, with an expected production of 750 megawatts. Ultimately, the project will have 13 turbines which will generate nearly 5 gigawatts. Its total cost is estimated at $4.2 billion by experts.
This infrastructure is at the center of a controversy with Egypt and Sudan who are worried about the future flow of the Nile. “There have been many false rumors that the Ethiopian government wants to harm Egypt and Sudan by using the dam to drain their land. This was never our plan and today is proof of that. We want to congratulate all our brothers, not just Sudanese and Egyptians, but all Africans,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said after touring the power station.
