Ethiopia on track to complete first mega-dams by 2015 - minister

Rueters ^ | November 12, 2012 | Aaron Maasho

[JerseyanExile]

Ethiopia's energy minister played down concerns on Monday about how it would finance the first of an array of mega-dams due to revolutionise east African power markets, saying it was on track to have three plants on line by 2015.

The Horn of Africa country has laid out plans to invest more than $12 billion in harnassing the rivers that run through its rugged highlands to generate more than 40,000 MW of hydropower by 2035, making it Africa's leading power exporter.

Energy chief Alemayehu Tegenu said the plan's centerpiece - the $4.1 billion-Grand Renaissance Dam along the Nile River in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region - was on course to be completed on time in 2015.

Two other smaller dams should also come on line by that point, he said, generating a total of more than 8,000 megawatts of power at full capacity.

"Everything is going according to plan. It (the Grand Renaissance) is on good status," Tegenu told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of an energy conference in Addis Ababa.

"So far we have achieved 13 percent of the total construction."

The dam - Africa's largest - will generate 6,000 MW at full capacity.

[SampleMan]

But what about the Ethiopian Snail Darter?

[cripplecreek]

Hey, what do ya know. Time tested green energy that actually works and is economical to boot.

[3Fingas]

At least someone is doing something useful with our stimulus dollars.

[bewildered]

think how many wind turbines you could power with that. then Africa would be really green...................

and white........and propellory

[edcoil]

I know, I know the Americans will pay for it. Our thousands of years of history we have produce nothing except to force white people in America to give us stuff.

[BenLurkin]

Good for them!

[BenLurkin]

I wouldn’t be surprised if this a a ChiCom funded, designed and directed project.

[paul544]

"Critics have already slammed China's willingness to lend money for Gilgel Gibe III's turbines over concerns the dam would create serious environmental damage."

This only works in America...

[magooey]

But what about the Ethiopian Snail Darter?

It's what's for breakfast.

[CondorFlight]

Egypt doesn’t like this. It was the British who drew up the water usage agreements for the Nile more than 100 years ago; Ethiopia wasn’t a participant.

Now if Ethiopia starts cutting down on the water that reaches Egypt via the Nile, Egypt could have real problems...