Despite dealing with all sorts of challenges in the country including security challenges and rule of law, Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam seem to be a priority for Ethiopian government again. Leadership in the ruling coalition says it will work on it diligently.
borkena
March 30,2019
Framework agreement among Nile River riparian countries and the level of water fill Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam, among issued discussed during the briefing in the office of the prime minister on Saturday.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his deputy, Demeke Mekonnen and other stake holders in the country held discussion on the status of Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam. The office of the prime minister has confirmed the news on its social media pages.
Among other things, the discussion and presentation included cooperative framework agreements, trilateral negotiations (involving Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt), progress of the construction and the status of water filling, among other things.
Current project manager of the Dam, Kifle Horo, made a presentation in which he said 83 percent of civil engineering work and 25 percent of the electromechanical work is completed. Overall, the project is now completed 66 percent of the work is completed.
Initially the cost of the project was said to be 80 billion Ethiopian birrs. As it turns out, 98.7 billion birrs is spent so far. Project managers and partners explained the increase the project cost in terms of an increase in the price of materials needed for the project. New project cost estimation (by the time of completion) is 150 billion Ethiopian Birr.
If all goes well, the plan is to generate power by the year 2021 using at least two turbines.
Egypt has been disputing construction of the dam on alleged grounds that it will negatively affect the flow of water to Egypt.
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