The Ethiopian Government Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), includes quintupling the country’s hydro-electric power supply by raising the present capacity to 10,000 MW in the coming five-year period. The bulk of this five-fold increase is expected to enter the national grid from the great Nile dam whose construction is scheduled to commence presently at a project site near the Ethio-Sudan border. From this dam alone, Ethiopia expects to generate 5,250 MW. While the Dam’s chief advantage to Ethiopia is ensuring a dependable power supply, the project accrues vital benefits to downstream countries - Sudan and Egypt- as well. The Dam will augment these countries’ access to clean power supply at a competitive import tariff. In addition, Egypt and Sudan will benefit from the parallel advantages of the project in the form of decreased siltation in their irrigation dams, decline in the frequency of flooding and thereby in reduction of water-resource wastage.
