However, Egypt is concerned that the dam will be utilised for irrigation in Ethiopia, resulting in reduced downstream supply. However, Ethiopia maintains that there are no hidden agendas except power generation.

 

But Ethiopia is reported to have ordered a total of 16 turbines from global firms. The mega hydro power plant project is expected to generate 6,000MW of electricity upon completion.

 

The project that has been on the progress for the last three year is worth$4.2 but has already used up about $2.2 million.

 

Debretsion Gebremichael, Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister for finance and economic cluster and minister of communication and information technology, has reassured that the government has no financial constraints and construction is on track for completion in July 2017.

 

The Grand  Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, now under construction on the Blue Nile River and scheduled to be completed in 2017, will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant with a storage capacity of 74 billion cubic metres of water.

 

Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam is 1,780m long and 145m high dam and will have a capacity to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

 

The plan to construct the Renaissance dam in Ethiopia  was first mooted in 2011, when the country announced that it was intending to construct the largest dam in the world on the Nile. But since then, the dam has been hit by wrangles that have slowed its construction. For intance, last year plans by Egypt to redesign Nile Dam-where Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia is being constructed were opposed by Ethiopia.

Source : constructionreviewonline.com