Measure said to be part of quality assurance work of the Renaissance Dam project
borkena
June 13, 2019
Water sewage pipes of the Grand Renaissance Dam are going to be replaced, reported state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Wednesday.
Bottom outlets pipe are removed because it was determined that they are of poor quality, according to Ethiopian Electric Power executive, Dr. Abrahm Belay, as cited by FBC.
The pipes are about six meters in diameter and 79 meters in length – and it has been several weeks since they were removed, as per FBC report.
Substitute pipes are being manufactured overseas but the report did not mention as to where they are manufactured.
Project Manager of the Dam, Engineer Kifle Horo, reportedly said that if bottom outlet pipes were not removed to be replaced, they could have shortened the service time. New pipes to be installed are expected to cover up to 100 years.
Ethiopian Electric Power has also undertaken other quality assurance investigations to identify other problems related to electro-mechanical and metal works of the dam and it is determined that no issues are found except welding works which are already fixed.
Last year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered the cancellation of a contract with Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC), Ethiopian government conglomerate run by the military, which was working on turbines.
Ethiopia hired two Chinese firms in February 2019 so as to hasten the construction of the Dam.
The Grand Renaissance Dam has caused controversy with Egypt but Ethiopia has given assurance that construction of the Dam will not affect the flow of water to Egypt.
Internally, the dam is a politically sensitive matter. The government had to deal with the loss of public trust and anger over the delay of the project and squandered funds. The initial estimate of the construction cost was $4 billion but is now estimated to be over $5billion.
The project is expected to be completed in 2020 and will generate 6000 MW of electric power which will make Ethiopia the largest power exporter in the continent
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Stop saying ‘The Grand Renaissance Dam has caused controversy with Egypt’. There is no controversy about it. It is Blue Nile and originates in the Ethiopian sovereign territory, right? So what is the problem? The magnanimous people of the old country have been so generous to their neighbors near and afar for millennia and will continue to remain so whether this dam is in existence or not. This is just scratching where it does not itch!!!