The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

The Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, formerly known as the Millennium Dam, has been under construction since 2011. This hydropower plant is expected to be the continent's largest dam when completed. The dam, which will be built on the Blue Nile near Ethiopia's border with Sudan in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, will generate an estimated 6,450 MW per year.

The reservoir, which began filling in July 2020 and houses around 63 billion m2 of water, is one of the largest on the continent. The dam is expected to start producing electricity between June and August 2021, making it the world's sixth-largest hydroelectric power plant once it is operational. The dam's walls have a height of 145 meters and a length of 5,900 meters. The dam's major objective is to generate electricity in order to alleviate Ethiopia's severe energy constraints and to sell electricity to neighboring nations.

Country: Ethiopia
Construction began: April 2, 2011
Opening date: July 21, 2020
Electricity generation capacity: 6,450 MW