Page 8 - AfrElec Week 01 2021

AfrElec HYDRO AfrElec

Ethiopia aims to begin

generation at GERD in January

ETHIOPIA ETHIOPIA expects to begin test generation Disagreements among the three states have
from the first two 350-MW units at the Great persisted on some aspects of the functioning of
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) within the dam, including the filling and operations of
days, local media reported. the GERD during periods of drought and on a
English-language newspaper Capital said dispute resolution mechanism, preventing the
that generation would begin at the two 350-MW parties from reaching common ground.
units, as they had recently been completed. Negotiations on the outstanding issues,
The new was not officially confirmed, including under the auspices of the AU, have
although the Office of the National Council for yielded little progress.
the Coordination of Public Participation to the Egypt and Sudan have appealed to the UN to
Construction of GERD widely shared the story mediate, while Ethiopia has opposed this, insist-
on social media. ing that the AU should sponsor any future talks.
In November, Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s for- In September, the United Nations Security
mer water and irrigation minister and currently Council (UNSC) urged Ethiopia, Egypt and
chief negotiator and advisor on Trans Boundary Sudan to resume African Union-led talks to
Rivers and GERD, said that construction was reach a “binding agreement on the filling and
now 82% complete. He also said at the time that operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance
GERD was expected to start the first phase of Dam (GERD) within a reasonable time frame.”
power production in a few weeks time. Both the EU and the US have been in favour
The $5bn has been fully funded by Ethiopian of talks in order to end the stand-off between the
capital and will be the largest project in Africa at three countries, which threatens to destabilise
6,500 MW. regional security.
Built near Sudan’s border in the Western part At the start of June 2021, Ethiopia rejected
of Ethiopia on the River Nile, GERD will create the Arab League’s call for the GERD hydropower
an arterial lake that can be used for fishery and dispute with Egypt to be referred to the UNSC.
other activities. Ethiopia is building the 6,500-MW GERD
In summer 2021, the country filled the dam’s hydro project in a bid to drive economic devel-
massive reservoir for the second summer in a opment and to meet rising demand for elec-
row. tricity. Ethiopia has rejected calls for wider
However, downstream riparian nations international involvement in the talks, and is
Sudan and Egypt are worried about water sup- likely to oppose any efforts by the UN.
plies, and have pressed to reach agreement with The EU and the US have both affirmed their
Ethiopia on how to share responsibilities should willingness to mediate in the negotiations on the
emergencies occur. GERD, between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.
When Ethiopia started its summer filling of The UN is concerned that the GERD could
the GERD in 2021, Egypt firmly rejected the uni- add to the regional instability. The armed conflict
lateral measure. between the Tigray people and Ethiopian gov-
The Egyptian irrigation ministry said the ernment has caused thousands of deaths, and
move was “a violation of international laws and the displacement of 2mn individuals, including
norms that regulate projects built on the shared 50,000 who have fled to Sudan. That is in addi-
basins of international rivers.” tion to putting 400,000 at the risk of famine.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 01 06•January•2022