The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a monumental infrastructure project wholly funded by the Ethiopian people, is on the cusp of inauguration in September, marking a significant milestone in Africa's development. Lawerance Freeman recalled his recent visit to the dam on May 16th, 2025, and revealed a project nearing completion, instilling optimism for its profound impact on the region.
Upon completion, the GERD will stand as Africa's largest hydroelectric dam and the seventeenth largest globally. Initiated just over a decade ago, the project's construction is set to conclude at an estimated cost of nearly five billion dollars. Harnessing the flow of the Blue Nile from Lake Tana, the GERD will boast a formidable generation capacity of 5,150 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
"This marvelous accomplishment is not only a monument of the forward thinking, determination, and hard work by the Ethiopian people, but it serves as an example of future possibilities for all nations of Africa," remarked Economic Analyst Lawrence Freeman. He recently visited GERD and had also toured the site in December 2022. Freeman reported observing significant progress in the interim two and a half years.
The sheer scale of the GERD is breathtaking. The main dam stretches 1,780 meters (almost a mile) in length and rises 145 meters, standing 645 meters above sea level. A few miles from the Sudanese border, the saddle dam extends 5.2 kilometers in length and 50 meters high. Together, these structures create a vast reservoir with a storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters of water (60 million acre-feet) and a surface area of 1,7874 square meters (724 square miles).
GERD Already Powering Regional Integration
Even before its official inauguration, the GERD has begun to foster economic integration in East Africa by exporting electricity to neighboring nations. Ethiopia currently provides 80 MW to Djibouti, 200 MW to Kenya, and 100 MW to Sudan, with plans to soon sell an additional 100 MW to Tanzania.
As more electricity from the GERD is integrated into Ethiopia's national grid, it will significantly boost the nation's energy supply for its economy and population. While Ethiopia's urban centers enjoy nearly 100% electrification, approximately 45% of the population, primarily in rural areas, still lacks access to electricity. The government aims to achieve 100% access by the end of the decade. With an existing capacity to generate 8,000 MW, the GERD will increase this by 50%, positioning Ethiopia as the second-largest electricity producer in sub-Saharan Africa, trailing only South Africa. Estimates suggest Ethiopia's overall electricity generation potential could reach an impressive 45,000 MW.
During Freeman’s May 2025 visit, he observed that over 1,800 MW of electricity was being generated and transferred to the national grid. Seven of the thirteen turbines, with a combined capacity of 2,600 MW, are currently operational (five at 400 MW each and two at 300 MW). All thirteen waterways, each 8.5 meters wide, and all thirteen turbines are now fully constructed. Over the coming months, the remaining six turbines will undergo testing and come online, bringing the dam to its full operational capacity.
Downstream Nations Unharmed
Despite earlier concerns from Egypt and Sudan regarding water flow, evidence suggests the GERD's operation has not negatively impacted downstream nations. The GERD is designed strictly as a hydroelectric dam, meaning all water passes through it, continuing its journey north to Sudan, where the Blue Nile converges with the White Nile in Khartoum, before flowing to the Mediterranean Sea.
Claims by the Egyptian government that the GERD's filling would reduce the volume of the Nile River to Sudan and the Aswan Dam have not materialized. Furthermore, the GERD is expected to provide a continuous flow of water downstream, mitigating both flooding and potential drying of the White Nile. It is also designed to provide a larger volume of Nile River water to the Aswan Dam than it would otherwise receive.
A Testament to Ethiopian Ingenuity
The construction of the GERD is a profound testament to the creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance of the Ethiopian people across successive governments. It demonstrates how human intervention can harness natural resources for societal benefit, transforming the physical universe for the advancement of humankind.
In recognition of this monumental achievement, Political-Economic analyst Lawrence Freeman, put forth a humble suggestion to designate the official inauguration day of the GERD as "GERD Day," to be honored alongside "Adwa Day." These two milestones, one a triumph on the battlefield and the other a feat of engineering, symbolize a uniquely unifying identity for all Ethiopians, past, present, and future.