Ethiopia begins power generation from second turbine at mega-dam

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced starting power production from the second turbine at the controversial Blue Nile mega-dam on Thursday, despite Egypt and Sudan's continued opposition to the project.

Abiy also confirmed that the third filling of the multibillion-dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was underway, a development that prompted Egypt to protest to the United Nations Security Council last month.

The move on Thursday came despite the fact that Ethiopia and its downstream neighbors Egypt and Sudan have yet to reach an agreement on the GERD's operation.

Abiy claimed that the third filling of the $4.2 billion dam, which is set to be Africa's largest hydroelectric scheme, was not causing water shortages in the two countries.

"We have repeatedly told downstream countries, especially Egypt and Sudan, that by generating power we're developing our economy, as well as (our desire) to see our citizens who live in the dark see light," he said.

There was "no aim to sideline and harm" those countries, he added.

It is worth noting that Ethiopia started producing electricity at the dam in February. The dam's two turbines, out of a total of 13, are currently generating 750 megawatts of electricity.

The GERD is expected to generate more than 5,000 megawatts in the end, more than doubling Ethiopia's current output.

Egypt wrote to the Security Council last month to express its opposition to Ethiopia's plans to fill the dam for a third year without a three-way agreement.

Cairo and Khartoum are concerned that it will jeopardize their access to vital Nile waters and have demanded a written agreement on the dam's filling and operation.

The process of filling the vast reservoir of the GERD, which has a total capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, began in 2020.

The 145-meter high structure spans the Blue Nile in western Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region, near the border with Sudan.