Ethiopia inaugurates Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam as neighbors eye
power imports
[September 10, 2025] By
EVELYNE MUSAMBI, SAMUEL GETACHEW and AMANUEL GEBREMEDHIN BIRHANE
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia on Tuesday inaugurated Africa’s
largest dam to boost the economy, end frequent blackouts and support the
growth of electric vehicle development in a country that has banned the
importation of gasoline-powered vehicles.
As reservoir waters flowed into the turbines of the Grand Renaissance
Dam, Ethiopians dressed in colorful regalia viewed the ceremony on large
screens across the capital, Addis Ababa, and celebrated the achievement
with dancing to traditional music.
“We will have enough power to charge our electric vehicles from the new
dam,” said Belay Tigabu, a bus driver in Addis Ababa’s main bus
terminal.
The almost $5 billion mega-dam, located on the Blue Nile tributary of
the Nile River near Ethiopia's border with Sudan, will produce more than
5,000 megawatts and is expected to double national electricity
generation capacity, according to officials.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, speaking during the launch, said
the dam was a “big achievement” that would show the world what Africans
are capable of accomplishing. Dozens of visiting African heads of state
and government joined Abiy for the inauguration, with many expressing
interest in importing power from Ethiopia.
“I am proud to announce we will soon be signing an agreement with the
government of Ethiopia to receive electricity from the dam that will
benefit our hospitals and schools,” said South Sudan’s President Salva
Kiir.
Kenyan President William Ruto said his nation is looking to sign a power
purchasing agreement with Ethiopia based on the resources of the dam
project, which he said was a “pan-African statement.”
Already an importer of Ethiopia electricity, Ruto said Kenya is seeking
to alleviate the electricity deficit his country is experiencing. He
said the dam “exemplifies the scale and ambition of African-led
infrastructure and aligns with the Africa Union’s vision of continental
energy connectivity.”
But Ethiopia’s new dam has faced controversy, with neighboring Egypt
expressing concerns over reduced water flows downstream.
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Ethiopian women wearing traditional clothes sing on the street as
the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is inaugurated in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
 Egypt has long opposed the dam
because of concerns it would deplete its share of Nile waters. The
Arab world’s most populous country relies almost entirely on the
Nile to supply water for agriculture and its more than 100 million
people.
Tamim Khallaf, a spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, told The Associated Press that the dam posed an
“existential threat.”
“There was no prior notification, proper consultations, or consensus
with downstream countries, thereby constituting a grave violation of
international law,” he said.
Abiy assured his neighbors on Tuesday that Ethiopia does not plan to
hurt them, and that they will have shared prosperity.
“I assure you that Ethiopia will never take away your rightful
share," he said. "Today, I make this promise before my people. The
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.”
There is a strong sense of pride in what Ethiopia has managed to
accomplish with the completion of the dam.
A 20-year-old university student, Yabsira Misganw, who was
advertising a new online shopping mobile app, said the new dam “will
provide stable electricity and improve online services.”
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Associated Press journalist Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to
this report.
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