2023-09-10 12:35:09
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, announced on Sunday the completion of the fourth filling of the Renaissance Dam, and in his statement published on his account on the “X” platform and on the Ethiopian News Agency, he explained that this filling is the “last,” without clarifying more than that, which raised speculation. About what it means.
Ahmed wrote: “With our efforts and cooperation, the fourth and final filling of the Renaissance Dam was completed. We faced internal challenges and external pressures, and we overcame all of these matters and were able to reach this stage.”
He also called on all citizens of his country to continue their “support until the dam is completed.”
Through this dam, which is 1.8 kilometers long and 145 meters high, Ethiopia intends to double its electricity production, which only reaches half of its population, which numbers regarding 120 million people.
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Last August witnessed the resumption of negotiations in Cairo, between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, regarding the dam, during which Egypt stressed the necessity of “not taking unilateral steps” on the part of Addis Ababa.
Professor of Water Resources at Cairo University, Abbas Sharaqi, said in statements to the “Al-Hurra” website, “The fourth storage has already ended since yesterday (Saturday), and the total water in the dam lake has become regarding 41 billion cubic meters, and the dam is supposed to witness an increase next year by regarding 20 metres, to accommodate new water reserves.”
Addis Ababa seeks to bring the total volume of water stored in the dam lake to regarding 74 billion cubic metres.
Since 2011, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia have been negotiating to reach an agreement on filling and operating the dam, but long rounds of negotiation between the three countries have not yet resulted in an agreement.
For his part, the Ethiopian researcher in African affairs, Nour El-Din Abdo, said that “the fourth filling is one of the most important final stages of the Renaissance Dam, as during the past rainy season from June to August, twice the amount of water was stored as was stored during previous years.”
Ethiopia announces the completion of the “final filling” of the Renaissance Dam
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Sunday his country’s success in filling the Renaissance Dam, which has long sparked disputes between the two countries downstream of the Nile River, Egypt and Sudan.
He added: “This filling comes following an important meeting between the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, last July, and their agreement to restore the course of negotiations, in addition to Ethiopia’s reassurances at the leadership level, to implement the fourth filling with a schedule that does not harm Egypt.”
On July 13, Sisi agreed with Ahmed to “complete within 4 months the drafting of an agreement regarding filling and operating the dam.”
African affairs expert at Al-Ahram Center for Strategic Studies, Attia Essawy, expressed his belief that “the announcement of the fourth filling is an internal message, that he (Ahmed) was not affected by pressure to stop building the dam, in addition to a message to the downstream countries that the filling did not harm the interests of Egypt and Sudan in the Nile waters.”
The word “confusing”
It was not clear in the Ethiopian statement what is meant by the word “last” in the phrase “fourth and final filling.” In this regard, Issawi said that the word “caught his attention” in the Ethiopian statements.
He added to Al-Hurra: “It may be a passing, unintended word, but if it has a meaning, it may mean that Ethiopia may be satisfied at the current stage with the fourth filling, until it is certain that storing more water will not cause damage to the dam, such as cracks or landslides.” Which may threaten the failure of the entire project.”
A new round of “Renaissance Dam” negotiations.. What do Cairo and Addis Ababa want?
A month and a half following the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, agreed to complete within four months the drafting of an agreement on filling and operating the Renaissance Dam that Addis Ababa is building, a new round of negotiations began, on Sunday, following a three-year hiatus. Which raises questions regarding its seriousness and whether it will lead to positive results for both parties, with the fourth phase of the dam filling process approaching.
He continued: “I do not think it means that Ethiopia will stop at the fourth filling permanently, because that means that it will not be able to operate most of the dam’s turbines, and they are 12, and only two of them have been operated so far.”
Ethiopia is scheduled to begin raising the central section of the dam by regarding 20 meters before the next flood season, which begins in June.
Sharaqi said in this regard: “We hope that the negotiations will lead to this storage being truly final, and that the water will not exceed 41 billion cubic meters in any year.”
He added: “I think it is impossible for Ethiopia to say on its own that the matter has ended there.”
Egypt fears the impact of the dam that Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile, as it depends on the Nile River to secure 97 percent of its water needs.
“Strategic understanding required”
The Ethiopian researcher said, “Egyptian concerns are related to droughts and prolonged droughts, more than their concerns regarding scheduled filling operations during the rainy seasons. To avoid drought problems, there must be a strategic understanding between Egypt and Ethiopia.”
The Renaissance Dam will provide Ethiopia with twice the electricity it currently produces
He explained: “There is no indication that the fourth filling may be the last. Technically, the final height of the dam body has 20 meters remaining, and the carrying capacity of the dam lake reaches more than 70 metres.”
In February 2022, Ethiopia officially launched electricity production from the dam, which it presents as among the largest in Africa.
Its production target has been adjusted from 6,500 to 5,000 megawatts, double Ethiopia’s current production, and it is expected to reach full production capacity in 2024.
Sharaqi concluded his speech by saying, “It would be good, if the dam is raised next year, to have negotiations to complete storage in the dam lake within two or three years.”
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