Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

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	Amharic: ታላቁ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዳሴ ግድብ Tigrinya: ግድብ ሕዳሰ ኢትዮጵያ Oromo: Hidha Guddicha Haaromsa Itoophiyaa
Country	Ethiopia
Location	Guba, Benishangul-Gumuz Region
Coordinates	11°12′55″N 35°05′35″E / 11.21528°N 35.09306°E / 11.21528; 35.09306
Purpose	Power
Status	Under construction
Construction began	2 April 2011
Opening date	21 July 2020; 3 years ago (21 July 2020)[1]
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)[2]
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	74×10^9 m3 (60,000,000 acre⋅ft)
Active capacity	59.2×10^9 m3 (48,000,000 acre⋅ft)
Inactive capacity	14.8×10^9 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–?[3]
Type	Conventional
Turbines	11 x 400 MW 2 x 375 MW Francis turbines
Installed capacity	750 MW (operational) 5.15 GW (final)[4]
Capacity factor	28.6%
Annual generation	15.76 TWh (est., planned)[5]
Website www.hidasse.gov.et

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^[6]), 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.^[7][8]

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 ^[9] and among the 20 largest in the world.^[10][11][12]

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).^[1][13] The second phase of filling was completed on 19 July 2021, with water levels increased to around 575 meters.^[14] The third filling was completed on 12 August 2022 to a level of 600 metres (2,000 ft).^[15] The fourth filling was completed on 10 September 2023 with water levels at around 625 metres (2,051 ft).^[16]

On 20 February 2022, the dam produced electricity for the first time, delivering it to the grid at a rate of 375 MW.^[3] A second 375 MW turbine was commissioned in August 2022.^[17]