Ethiopia on Tuesday inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa\u2019s largest hydroelectric project, in a landmark ceremony that drew cheering crowds, regional leaders, and pledges of cross-border cooperation.<\/p>\n
The $5 billion mega-dam, located on a tributary of the Nile near the Sudanese border, is designed to generate more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity \u2014 doubling Ethiopia\u2019s national power capacity. Officials say the dam will end frequent blackouts, power industrial growth, and accelerate the country\u2019s transition to electric vehicles, after banning the import of gasoline-powered cars.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hailed the project as a \u201cbig achievement,\u201d declaring it a testament to African ingenuity and resilience. In Addis Ababa, citizens dressed in traditional regalia celebrated the launch, dancing and watching the ceremony on large public screens.<\/p>\n
The inauguration was attended by dozens of African heads of state, several of whom expressed interest in purchasing power from Ethiopia. South Sudan\u2019s President Salva Kiir announced his country would soon sign an agreement to import electricity, highlighting benefits for hospitals and schools. Kenyan President William Ruto, whose nation already imports Ethiopian power, called the project a \u201cpan-African statement\u201d that aligns with the African Union\u2019s goal of continental energy integration.<\/p>\n
However, the dam remains controversial. Egypt, which depends almost entirely on the Nile for water, has long opposed the project, fearing it could reduce downstream flows critical for agriculture and the country\u2019s 100 million citizens.<\/p>\n
Seeking to calm regional tensions, Abiy reassured neighboring countries that Ethiopia intends no harm. \u201cThe hunger of our brothers in Egypt, in Sudan, or anywhere else is also our hunger. We must share and grow together, for we have no intention of harming anyone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The GERD\u2019s completion marks one of the most ambitious infrastructure achievements in modern Africa and signals Ethiopia\u2019s intent to position itself as a renewable energy hub for the continent.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ethiopia on Tuesday inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa\u2019s largest hydroelectric project, in a landmark ceremony that drew cheering crowds, regional leaders, and pledges of cross-border cooperation. The $5 billion mega-dam, located on a tributary of the Nile near the Sudanese border, is designed to generate more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity \u2014<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[1612,328,1633,1498,1634,1010,1627,1626,1629,1631,1628,1611,1630,1501,1632,1613],"class_list":{"0":"post-14024","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa","8":"tag-abiy-ahmed","9":"tag-addis-ababa","10":"tag-african-union","11":"tag-egypt","12":"tag-energy-connectivity","13":"tag-ethiopia","14":"tag-gerd","15":"tag-grand-renaissance-dam","16":"tag-hydropower","17":"tag-kenya","18":"tag-nile-river","19":"tag-renewable-energy","20":"tag-salva-kiir","21":"tag-south-sudan","22":"tag-water-security","23":"tag-william-ruto"},"yoast_head":"\n