MINISTRY OF WATER IRRIGATION AND ELECTRICITY

FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE
GRAND ETHIOPIAN RENAISSANCE DAM
&
REGIONAL INTERCONNECTION

TOGO LOME, MARCH 2017

ETHIOPIA
•  Country in the horn of Africa
•  Total area - 1.13 million
square km
•  94 million inhabitants
•  Population growth rate 2.3%
per year
•  Average annual GDP growth
rate ~ 11 %
 ENERGY RESOURCES POTENTIAL
•  Hydropower potential 45,000 MW
•  Geothermal potential ~ 10,000 MW
•  Solar energy potential 5.5 kWh /sq. m/day – annual average
daily irradiation
•  Average wind speed > 7 meter/second at 50 m above ground
level – 1,350 GW
•  Agro-waste – 15 to 20 million tonnes (annually exploitable)
•  Natural gas - 4 TCF (113 billion m3)
•  Coal > 300 million tonnes.
•  Oil shale – 253 million tonnes
ELECTRICITY DEMAND AND SUPPLY
ü Generation capacity in the grid – 4,284 MW
•  Hydro – 3,810 MW
•  Wind – 324 MW
•  Geothermal – 7 MW
•  Diesel – 143 MW

ü HV transmission line length > 12,800 km

ü Power substations – 163

ü MV & LV distribution line length > 160,000 km

ü Electrified towns > 5,000

ü Customers about 2 .5million

 ENERGY ACCESS
ü Geographic access to electricity grid – 56%
•  Connectivity – 20%
•  Per capita electricity consumption < 100 kWh/a

ü Traditional biomass accounts 89% of total energy

consumption
ELECTRICITY DEMAND
ü  From 2002 to 2006, average annual electricity demand grew by
13%.

ü  Present growth rate > 20%

ü  High demand growth, some factors
Ø  GDP growth of ~11%

Ø  Aggressive expansion of the grid to rural towns and

villages raising access from 16% to above 56% in 10 years

ü  To full fill the demand Several power sites have been studied and
a master plan showing the least cost has been developed.

ü  The Government has mobilized resources for implementing 17000

MW in GTP II 6
 MAJOR POWER SECTOR
DEVELOPMENTS
É  Powerplants under construction
É  Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – 6,000MW

É  Gibe III – 1,870 MW (started power production)

É  Genale Dawa III – 254 MW 90% completed

É  Aluto Langano geothermal expansion – 75 MW

É  Repi Waste-to-Energy power – 50 MW 90%

completed
 GRAND ETHIOPIAN RENAISSANCE HPP
ü  T h e p r o j e c t i s l o c a t e d
approximately 600 km north
west of the capital Addis Ababa,
in the region of Benishangul -
Gumaz along the Blue Nile.

ü  At the end of the works, the

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance
Dam will be the largest dam in
Africa: 1,800 m long, 145 m
high and with a total volume of
74,000 million m³.
8
 ü  The power stations are positioned
on the right and left banks of the
river and comprise 16 Francis
turbines units each of which
generate 375 MW power with a
total installed power of 6,000
MW and estimated production of
15,000 GWh per year.

ü 

ü  T h e p r o j e c t i n v o l v e s t h e
construction of a main dam in
Roller Compacted Concrete
(RCC), with 2 power stations
installed at the foot of the dam. 9
ü  GERD has enjoyed a tremendous support from all the people of
Ethiopia at home and from Ethiopian origins living abroad, as well
as upper and lower riparian countries including the Sudan since the
beginning of the work in 2011.

ü  Its total cost is estimated at USD 4.7 billion, and is financed by

Ethiopia people contribution and the Government budget.

ü  About 8,500 people work on the site, 8,200 of which from local
communities. Another 1,250 are indirectly employed by the
project, working for suppliers and subcontractors for a value of
€450 million.

ü  The construction is carried out by the Italian firm Salini Impregilo.

ü  The sub contract of work of the project is owned by the Ethiopian

Metal and Engineering corporation (MEtEC) firms. 10
ü  The grand project is therefore also being used as a means of
technological transfer to the Ethiopian domestic experts.

ü  It is at the center of Ethiopia’s development strategy.

ü  It will provide cheap and abundant electricity to the booming

manufacturing sector of the country where the electricity demand
is growing by more than 20 percent each year.

ü  Now more than 56% of the project is completed

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ü  Apart from power generation, advantages of the dam for
downstream countries include: avoiding flood that has huge
damage in lower riparian countries, excessive sediments and
maintaining a regular and sustainable flow of water with less
evaporations which is vital for the irrigation projects in the lower
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riparian countries.
ü  Most importantly, the Dam will boost the cooperation and mutual
understanding between riparian countries (The Nail Basin
countries).

ü  We hope in its completion will change the face of East African

power infrastructure

ü  This will have a positive effect on regional integration and

development in the region.

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 REGIONAL INTERCONNECTION
I. ETHIOPIA KENYA INTERCONNECTION
ü  Ethiopia and Kenya have small
electricity sectors, each with a total
installed capacity of less than 5,000
MW.

ü  Per capita energy consumption

among the lowest in the world, about
100 kWh in Ethiopia 130 kWh in
Kenya, despite the availability of
enormous energy resources.

ü  Power shortages and unreliability of

supply are common in both
countries. This lack of reliable 14

supply is contributing to reduced

economic competitiveness.
 ETHIOPIA KENYA CON….

ü  The project involves construction of a transmission line to

evacuate power from Wolayta/Sodo in Ethiopia to Longonot in
Kenya (about 1000 – 1200 km).

ü  The electricity will be generated primarily in hydropower plants

in Ethiopia and exported to Kenya where electricity is generated
from thermal power plants.

ü  This would result in emission reductions in Kenya and increased

power supply to meet the increasing electricity demand.

ü  The Transmission line will transport 2000 MW, in the initial

phase will transfer 400 MW by 2019.
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 II. ETHIOPIA –SUDAN and ETHIOPIA – DJIBUTI
INTERCONNECTION
ü  Currently Ethiopia and Sudan interconnected through 230 kv
there is a power flow up to 250 MW

ü  The second interconnector with Sudan feasibility study, Design

and Tender document preparation is completed

ü  The carrying capacity will be 3000 MW double circuit AC

ü  Also Ethiopia and Djibouti interconnected through 230 kv there is

a power flow up to 90 MW

ü  The second interconnector with Djibouti feasibility study,

underway will be completed soon.
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ü  The 230 kv transmission line is proposed from Dicheto Ethiopia

to northern Djibouti
ü  The Ethiopia – Sudan – Egypt
interconnection feasibility study
completed (Nile Basin Initiative)

ü  Interconnections with the

Republic of South and Sudan
Somalia (Somaliland) at the
planning and study stages

ü  Memoranda of Understanding on
power export signed with
Tanzania, Rwanda and Yemen

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THE SOURCE OF BLUE NAIL

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THANK YOU SO MUCH