B1M - Africa`s $5BN Megadam Will Block the Nile



The reservoir behind it will be roughly the size of London while the dam itself will be twice as tall as the Golden Gate Bridge deck.
Welcome to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – an epic name for an epic megaproject.
It`s decades in the making and forms part of the country’s so-called “economic miracle” largely because it has the potential to lift millions out of poverty.
But it could also be the dangerous spark that ignites a whole new conflict in the region: a fight for the Nile.
This is the largest dam in Africa. So large it has its own classification. It`s a mega-dam.
Once complete it will produce over 5,000 megawatts of electricity – more than double Ethiopia`s current output today – and its reservoir will hold 74BN cubic metres of water.
The numbers here don`t get any less overwhelming. The dam itself is made of 10M cubic metres of roller-compacted concrete and is set to include two power stations, three spillways and a saddle dam.
The main dam itself will be 145 metres deep by 1.7 kilometres long, while the saddle dam supporting the main structure will be an astonishing 4.8 kilometres long by 45 metres high.