Ethiopia has started generating electricity from the controversial mega-dam that is being built on the Blue Nile. The milestone was reached on Sunday morning when one of the 13 turbines of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began generating power in an event officiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. “From now on, there will be nothing that will stop Ethiopia,” Abiy said. The dam, which will have a total power generating capacity of 6,500 megawatts, has been a source of tension between Ethiopia and the other riparian states, Sudan and Egypt. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for about 97% of its irrigation and drinking water, sees the dam as an existential threat.

Source: Ethiopian News February 20, 2022 23:13 UTC