The 5 billion project USD dam, Ethiopia is undertaking on River Nile and which had suffered construction delays and entertained reservations from different neighboring countries, will kick start supplying energy in December 2020.
The Federal Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity of Ethiopia so disclosed. The 6,000-megawatt Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the pipeline is expected to consummate Ethiopia’s effort of becoming Africa’s biggest power exporter in the beginning years of exporting hydro-power.
Until the reformist Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed made an open breast of the corruptionrelated challenges that are besetting the project, facts about the dam were shrouded in mystery.
Due to this corruptness, a staterun conglomerate’s contract to build a portable generator over the renaissance dam was canceled last August 2018, noted minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity of Ethiopia Seleshi Bekele.
In its performance assessment report, the ministry made clear to citizens of Ethiopia that the government had signed an agreement with GE Hydro France, a unit of GE Renewables, to spearhead the dam’s construction and thereby generate hydropower energy.
Despite all the financial harms the project cushioned, the dam will see the light of day in two years’ time. According to Seleshi “750 megawatts is the planned initial power output with two portable generators,” The government is expected to render the dam fully operational by the end of 2022. So, in a stepped up manner, people of Ethiopia should continue adding bricks to the dam in a bid the dam actualizes in the slated time.
The project has been hemmed in by lots of internal and external problems for the past seven years. With undivided attention and all-out effort, citizens must back up the flagship project, stressed the newly appointed project manager for the GERD and the reformist Engineer Kifle Horo. Ethiopians must focus on the benefit Ethiopia could reap after GER saw completion. It is one among an array of projects being accomplished.
Under the new strategic development plan (2012-2022), as it is true of Addis Ababa that wants 17,346 MW from a current capacity of just over 4,300 MW of hydro power, wind and geothermal energy sources, various cities need energy Engineer Kifle added.
After the government awarded the contract seven years back, the construction of the dam has been carried out with a single portable generator. But, after the reformist Dr. Abiy canceled the contract of Ethiopian Military Conglomerate Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC), the project is executed day and night with additional portable generators engineer Kifle said. The construction had lagged for a year.
The portable generators and other equipment straddled in ports are ascribable to the delay. Hence, more costs are needed to jumpstart energy generation. Mangers currently operating in every level are working hard to supply more portable generators that help to handle complication and solve the problems, added Engineer Kifle.
The construction has never stopped, and will never stop till the project is completed. Ethiopians have a large culture of oneness. Ethiopians never compromise the issues of their country. Even if the number of ethnic groups is more than 80, Ethiopians display unity when it comes to the issue of Ethiopia.
So, GERD will cement their bond as they started to build it by themselves. It shall be the icon that symbolizes Ethiopians unity. When the GERD goes operational, it will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant built by Ethiopians. It will help to troubleshoot Ethiopia’s and Africa’s power shortage. As before Journalists are expected to enthuse citizens and members of the Ethiopian community about the benefit of the dam so that they keep on reinforcing the execution of this megaproject project.
Herald March 24/2019
BY MUSSA MUHAMMED
