Tekezé Dam

The Tekezé Dam in Ethiopia, the next name on the list of the biggest hydropower plants in Africa, is the continent's highest dam. The Tekezé Dam is a double curvature arch dam in Ethiopia's Amhara and Tigray regions. The Tekezé Dam, which is located on the Tekezé River, a tributary of the Nile, is one of the country's major public works projects.

At 188 meters (617 feet), the Tekezé Dam was Africa's largest double-curvature arch dam at the time of its completion. The resulting reservoir covers an area of 105 km2 and can hold 9.3 billion m3 of water. It ended up costing $360 million, which was $136 million more than expected. The dam's powerhouse houses four 75 MW turbines that each produce 300 MW of energy, totaling 1,200 MW. As Ethiopia's power demand grows, the dam has helped to alleviate power shortages.

Country: Ethiopia
Construction began: 1999
Opening date: February 2009
Electricity generation capacity: 1,200 MW