Ethiopia has started filling the Grand Renaissance Dam, a giant hydroelectric project it is building on the Blue Nile, its Water Minister said on Wednesday. “The construction of the dam and the filling of the water go hand in hand,” Seleshi Bekele said in televised comments. “The filling of the dam doesn’t need to wait until the completion of the dam.” The water level had increased from 525 to 560 meters, he said. The $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will have an installed capacity of 6,450 megawatts – more than doubling its existing capacity – and is the centerpiece of Ethiopia’s bid to become Africa’s biggest power exporter.
