The 1,870 MW Gilgel Gibe-3 hydropower project on the Omo River in Ethiopia has started generating power after a successful trial production with began in August 2015.
The project is developed by Ethiopian power generation company EEPCO, which started construction in 2008. It consists of ten turbines rated 187 MW each. Three units are ready for commissioning and a fourth one is nearing completion. Full operation is expected in early 2016.
The Gilgel Gibe complex consists of two hydropower plants, with a cumulated capacity of 630 MW. The new plant, the largest hydropower plant in Ethiopia, will raise its capacity to 2,500 MW. Two additional projects are planned, which would add 1.45-2 GW (Gilgel Gibe-4) and 660 MW (Gilgel Gibe-5). Ethiopia aims to invest a total of US$12bn in hydropower, and the country is developing a 6,000 MW hydropower project, the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile.
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