- Ethiopia to begin turbine tests at the GERD
- To test run two turbines with a combined capacity of 700MW
- Egypt and Sudan are at loggerheads with Ethiopian on the project
The Ethiopian government will begin tests on two turbines with a combined capacity of 700MW at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) hydroelectric power plant in the coming weeks, according to reports from Addis Ababa.
The GERD, Africa’s largest hydropower project, has been fraught with controversies. The Ethiopian government has been in dispute with neighbouring Egypt and Sudan on the implications of the GERD project on the River Nile, which is vital to the economies of these downstream countries. Despite negotiations, the governments of Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an agreement with the Ethiopian government on the project.
The GERD is currently at 80% complete with at least 5,250 MW capacity.