ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia on Tuesday officially inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the largest hydropower project in Africa.
A ceremony was held near the dam in the northwestern Benishangul-Gumuz region to celebrate the project's official completion. It was attended by senior Ethiopian officials, African leaders and representatives from the African Union and other international organizations, including African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Kenyan President William Ruto, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
Construction of the 5,150-megawatt hydropower project began in 2011 on the Blue Nile River near the Sudanese border.
Addressing the event, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted the dam's potential to strengthen the national economy by providing stable energy for industry, improving livelihoods and advancing regional energy integration.
"Congratulations to all Ethiopians, both at home and abroad, as well as to our friends around the world, on the historic inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam," he said.
The project, with a designed total water storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, has long been a source of tension among the three Nile-bound countries of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. While Cairo and Khartoum fear the dam will reduce their water share, Addis Ababa maintains that the project will not harm downstream countries.
"We are firm believers in collective advancement," Abiy said, reaffirming Ethiopia's commitment to pursuing growth without undermining its neighbors' interests.
The Blue Nile, known as the Abay River in Ethiopia, originates from Lake Tana about 570 km north of Addis Ababa and is one of the Nile River's two main tributaries.
