Companies to Start Full GERD Operation in September: Project Manager

Addis Ababa July 17/2019 Foreign companies that have signed contract agreement in a bid to bump up the construction of Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will start full operation and erection on September, GERD Project Manager said.

On January and February, Ethiopia has reached contractual accords with five international companies- Sino Hydro, CGGC, Voith, GE Hydro France, and XD to recommence electromechanical and steel structure works of the flagship dam project.

Project Manager Kifle told ENA that there are eight contracts in total for electromechanical and civil works on GERD project.

Currently, the project manager said, most companies are in fabrication.

“CGGC and GE Hydro France have started the construction and erection at the site. Hopefully, in September all the foreign companies will start full operation and erection,” he stated.

The dam project has three main components including civil works, electro mechanical and hydraulic steel structure.

CGGC is working on the water ways of hydraulic steel structure and bottom outlet while GE is on the turbine generator part, according to the Project Manager.

He said 68 percent of the Renaissance Dam is now completed following the annulment of METEC’s lengthy contract last year.

“Civil work has reached 84 percent, which includes the saddle dam (95%), roller compacted concrete which is the main dam (80%) and gated spill way (96%). Electro mechanical is nearly at 28% and hydraulic steel structure was 13%. In aggregate electro mechanical is at 25 percent,” Kifle noted.

The first two units will start generating energy within two years while the other normal units’ physical completion is expected in the coming 4 years.

Voith Hydro Shanghai--responsible for turbine generator and balance of plant--has two contracts whereas, GE Hydro France is responsible for the electro-mechanical, Chinese XD for components, Sino Hydro for hydraulic steel structure of the normal unit and CGGC for early generation and bottom outlet hydraulic steel structure works.

The 6,450 MW GERD has been under construction since 2011 and is expected to be finalized in 2022.

The 6,450 MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is the showpiece of Ethiopia in the effort to make the country a leading continental power exporter.

It is anticipated that 125 to 130 billion Birr is required to complete the construction of GERD, out of which 15-20 percent is expected to come from the public.