• Dam’s civil works to reach completion within six months
ADDIS ABABA– Abbay Dam Coordination Project Office announced that it has amassed over 297 million Birr in the last two months as the government is striving to complete dam’s civil work construction within six months.
The office Media Communication Director Hailu Abraham told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the office has collected over 297 million of the 1.7 billion Birr that it has planned to mobilize for the construction of Abbay Dam this Ethiopian fiscal year.
As to him, the amount is collected via bond sales both locally and internationally via 8100 SMS and other platforms. “We have mobilized over 824,000 and 64 million Birr from Diaspora bond sale and gift, and the Ethiopian Electric Power gift respectively,” he added.
Moreover, some 213 million Birr was collected from 8100 SMS platform, he stated, adding that over 18.6 billion Birr was collected from the public and Diasporas since the beginning of the construction of the dam up to 8 September 2023.
Hailu said: “The remaining works require more than 50 billion Birr to finalize the project. Thus, joined hands are needed to realize the final stage through awareness creation, telethons, honoring recognition certificates to contributors and facilitating regional project offices.”
He also expressed that the civil works of the project such as turbine assembly, power generation, accumulation and other technical works are scheduled to be completed in the next six months.
So far, two turbines have been generating 500 MW in which they would be generating a total of 750 megawatts up on completion, he noted.
It is to be recalled that the nation has recently completed the 4thround filling process successfully.
BY ASHENAFI ANIMUT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 22 OCTOBER 2023
