Ethiopia will inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Tuesday, a $4 billion megaproject towering 145 metres over the Blue Nile. With a planned capacity of 5,000 MW—more than doubling the nation’s generation—it is a rare unifying symbol in a country divided by internal strife. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has made the dam a cornerstone of his development agenda.
The GERD, designed to hold 74 billion cubic metres of water, has been under construction since 2011. For Ethiopia, it promises to electrify industries, expand access for the 45% of citizens currently without power, and generate revenue through regional electricity exports as far as Tanzania.
The project is expected to transform Ethiopia into an energy hub, powering industrialisation and reducing blackouts. However, it sharpens regional tensions, with Egypt viewing GERD as an “existential threat” to its water security. Failed mediation attempts underscore the high geopolitical stakes. For Addis Ababa, the dam is not just infrastructure—it is a strategic tool to project power and foster national unity amid political fragility.
