HIDASE: Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Capacity of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

Installed Power Capacity

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is equipped with a total installed power output of approximately 5,150 megawatts (MW). :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

At its maximum design, GERD includes fourteen turbines of 400 MW each and two turbines of 375 MW each. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Annual Energy Generation

The dam is expected to generate around 15,700 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year, under typical hydrological conditions. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Reservoir and Storage Capacity

The reservoir, known as Nigat Lake, has a total storage volume of about 74 billion cubic meters (74 × 10⁹ m³). :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Of this total storage, approximately 59.2 billion cubic meters is active storage (usable for power generation and water management), and about 14.8 billion cubic meters is inactive (dead) storage. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Geographical and Physical Dimensions

The dam is built on the Blue Nile in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 14 km east of the Sudan border. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

The reservoir surface area at full supply level is about 1,874 square kilometers, with a maximum depth reaching approximately 140 meters. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Design Changes & Capacity Under Different Scenarios

Initial design specifications aimed for larger capacity (up to ~6,450 MW), but subsequent revisions adjusted the configuration to the current 5,150 MW installed capacity. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}