Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash (illustrative)
On 9 September 2025, Ethiopia formally inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, now Africa's largest hydroelectric power station. The project took 14 years of round-the-clock construction, and Ethiopia says it was funded domestically, including through public donations and government bonds.
Key facts
At full capacity the dam should generate about 5,100 MW, more than double what Ethiopia could produce without it.
The dam wall is 1.78 km long and 145 m high, and was built with 11 million cubic meters of concrete.
Nearly half of Ethiopia's 135 million people lack electricity; the government aims to connect at least 90% by 2030.
IRENA reported that Ethiopia helped drive Africa's largest-ever annual rise in renewable capacity in 2025.
Why it matters
Tens of millions of Ethiopians still live without electricity, and a renewable power plant on this scale can change that if the grid reaches them. Ethiopia also plans to sell clean power to neighbors such as Kenya and Djibouti.
Worth noting
Downstream Egypt fears the dam could sharply reduce its Nile water supply, and the project remains a source of diplomatic tension. Getting the power into homes also depends on building transmission lines across a vast and mountainous country.