Le mégabarrage d'Éthiopie, plus puissant d'Afrique et 15e au monde
With a capacity of 5,150 megawatts (MW), the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), inaugurated Tuesday on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, becomes the most powerful in Africa and rises to 15th place in the world among active dams, according to data from Global Energy Monitor analyzed by AFP.
The world's two largest hydroelectric dams are located in China, which launched the sector decades ago to fuel its intense economic development and limit its dependence on coal. The largest is the Three Gorges dam (22,500 MW), the second largest is the Baihetan dam (16,000 MW), both located on the Yangtze, the country's longest river.
Along with China, only Brazil, Venezuela, Russia and Canada operate dams with a capacity comparable to or greater than that of the GERD, according to Global Energy Monitor data as of April.
On the African continent, the GERD dethrones the Kariba Dam, commissioned in 1959 on the Zambezi, and the main source of hydroelectric power in Zambia and Zimbabwe with a capacity of 2,130 MW.
The Inga III project in the Democratic Republic of Congo could one day compete, with a potential estimated at between 3,000 and 11,000 MW according to the World Bank, which is co-financing it.
In order of magnitude, 1,000 megawatts -- or one gigawatt -- corresponds to the power delivered by a nuclear reactor in France (between 900 and 1,450 MW). Such a capacity can continuously power some 500,000 European homes. However, the production of hydroelectric dams can be more variable than that of a nuclear power plant, as it depends on the rivers that feed it.
Culminating at 170 meters, the GERD is also among the highest dams in Africa, behind in particular the Gilgel Gibe III dam (243 m) on the Omo River in Ethiopia, inaugurated in 2016, the Katse dam on the Malibamatso River in Lesotho (185 m), or the Tekezé dam on the eponymous river in Ethiopia.
Launched in 2011 at a cost of $4 billion, the GERD is nearly two kilometers wide and has a total capacity of 74 billion cubic meters of water, according to the latest figures released by the Italian company Webuild, which built it.
Ethiopia's operation of this immense facility will serve to meet growing energy demand in Africa's second most populous country, where some 45% of the 130 million inhabitants do not have access to electricity.
AFP
Commentaires (4)
Vu de la sorte il n'y aucune protection contre érosion.
Le "hover dam" semble etre construit pour l'eternite si on le compare a celui-ci.
Neanmoins, bravo pourvu qu'il ne céde pas si par malheur des racourcis ont été pris pour soutirer une partie du budget de construction pour un usage moins noble.
Pourquoi ces idées noires et suspicion haineuses. Ou bien vous du même esprit que les clients du client.
Mon Dieu et dire que MS s'est empare de 5000 Milliards de dollars 1000 dollars de plus que le cout de gigantesque Barrage Ethiopian.
Bravo à l'Ethiopie et que ce barrage vienne en aide pour fournir de l'électricité aux 45% de la population.
Plutot 5 Milliards de dollars et 5000 milliards CFA dette cachee par MS et les nouvelles authorites hesitent toujours a lancer ce mandat d'arret international.
7 milliards de dollar US. La dette cachée dont seul les sénégalais n'ont pas compris l'ampleur.
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