By Staff Reporter
October 15, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- The Ethiopian government dismissed reports that the installed generating capacity of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will be reduced.
Speaking to journalists, the CEO of the GERD Kifle Horu said the number of turbines that will be installed at GERD project will be downsized from 16 to 13 and that would not affect the dam’s projected generating capacity.
Africa’s biggest hydro power dam being built on Abay River (Nile) was supposed to have 16 turbines, each with the projected generating capacity of 15,670 Giga Watt of electricity per year.
“After a thorough study and all options have been assessed, it is found to be necessary to downsize the number of turbines to thirteen and that would be economical and won’t affect the total production capacity of the GERD, the CEO told local media.
The GERD project is located approximately 500 km North West of the capital Addis Ababa, in the regional state of Benishangul-Gumuz along the Blue Nile. Addis Ababa said GERD will have a total of 6,000 MW generating capacity after completion in 2025.
“The generating capacity of one’s’ hydro-power dam will be determined by the volume of water in the reservoir and the height of the water level from turbines center,” he said.
Communications Director of the Ethiopian Electric Power Moges Mekonnen said the decrease in the number of turbines has nothing to do with reducing water volume of the dam as opposed to Egypt’s proposal to decrease the height of the dam and extend the filling period of the dam reservoir.
It is recalled that the trilateral technical dialogue between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan held in Khartoum ended up in disagreement with Egypt calling for international mediation to resolve outstanding issues with the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ethiopia strongly opposed Egypt’s proposal for international mediation. The proposal was “unwarranted denial of the progress in the trilateral technical dialogue” that “goes against the consent and wishes of Ethiopia and Sudan.”
There has been reports of late indicating that the leaders of both countries, Ethiopia and Egypt, will meet in Russia later this month to discuss outstanding issues of the GERD. The Egyptian President Abdel Fatth el-Sisi is reported to have said he will meet with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Moscow during the Russia-Africa summit.
According to Ethiopian Electric Power, GERD is 68 percent complete.
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