Egypt’s Renaissance Dam celebrates 6 years of construction

CAIRO - 5 April 2017: The Ethiopian government is celebrating the sixth anniversary of the commencement of the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam. April marks six years since the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi put the first cornerstone at the construction site,

Al Shorouk reported

Wednesday.

Ethiopian Defense Minister Siraj Fegessa announced during the celebrations, which started Sunday at the construction site, that 57 percent of the construction work is completed. He said 72 percent of the turbines have been installed in the main part of the dam, 16 turbines on the right side and six at the left.

Ethiopian officials said construction work on the dam “will not stop,” without setting a final date for the dam’s completion, according to Ethiopian news outlets.

Ethiopian sources told Shorouk that dam is now expected to produce 6450 megawatts, instead of the 6000 previously announced by the Ethiopian government in a plan submitted to Egypt.

The sources added that trial operations on the dam started after the turbines were installed to conduct the different operational tests, focusing on low energy turbines after they were connected to power lines.