The Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) has received large transformers for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) at the port of Djibouti, marking a significant step in the project’s development. These transformers are critical for enhancing the dam’s electricity generation capacity.

The GERD, formerly known as the Millennium Dam, is a gravity dam on the Blue Nile River in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, approximately 14 km (9 mi) east of the Sudanese border. Constructed between 2011 and 2023, it is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa and among the 20 largest in the world, with an installed capacity of 5.15 gigawatts. The dam was built to address Ethiopia’s electricity shortage and to support power exports to neighboring countries.

This development follows a crowdfunding initiative in January, which raised over $127,000 for the dam’s construction. The GERD project remains a key infrastructure effort for Ethiopia, despite regional tensions regarding its impact on water resources.

The arrival of the transformers brings GERD closer to full-scale operation, reinforcing Ethiopia’s ambition to become a major energy supplier in East Africa.