Merowe Dam
Merowe Dam
Merowe Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Nile in northern Sudan, near Merowe Town, about 350 kilometers north of Khartoum. It is the biggest hydroelectric project in Africa and was built mainly to generate electricity for Sudan.
Key facts
- Location: on the Nile near Merowe Town, Sudan (about 18.6689°N, 32.05028°E)
- Size: dam about 9 kilometers long; crest height around 67 meters
- Reservoir: stores about 12.5 cubic kilometers of water, covering roughly 476 square kilometers; the lake would extend up to 174 kilometers upstream
- Power: 1,250 megawatts (10 turbines x 125 MW each)
- Annual electricity: about 5.5 terawatt-hours (roughly half of the dam’s capacity used on average)
- Opening: inaugurated March 3, 2009 (left bank dam completed in 2005; first generator online around 2007)
- Cost: total project around USD 2.95 billion; about USD 1.2 billion for the dam itself; rest for equipment and transmission
- Main use: generate electricity and upgrade Sudan’s power grid
How it works
- Powerhouse with ten 125 MW Francis turbines
- Each turbine drives a 150 MVA generator
- The project requires large upgrades to Sudan’s transmission lines (about 500 km of 500 kV lines and about 1,000 km of 220 kV lines)
Financing and contractors
- Total cost: about USD 2.95 billion
- Funders include: China Ex-Im Bank, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Saudi Fund for Development, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Oman Fund for Development, Qatar, and the Sudanese government
Planning, construction, and benefits
- The idea of a Nile dam at the Fourth Cataract dates back many decades; the plan was revived in 1979 to generate electricity
- Construction began in 2004; the dam began to fill in the reservoir after 2005; the power plant reached full operation by 2009
- Benefits include a large boost to Sudan’s electricity supply, helping to reduce power outages and support growth
Human and environmental impact
- Resettlement: about 55,000–70,000 people were relocated or affected, mainly from the Manasir, Hamadab, and Amri communities
- Original livelihoods, especially date palm groves and farm land, were disrupted; some people moved to new sites or near the lake and turned to fishing, often with lower income
- Palm trees, gardens, and housing were compensated, but many residents felt compensation and relocation were inadequate
- Some resettlers faced poorer soils at new sites and long-term difficulties rebuilding farming in new conditions
- Archaeology programs were run to salvage artifacts, but they faced criticism and ethical questions from activists and local communities
- Environmental notes: the lake’s surface area increases evaporation losses, which can reduce the Nile’s available water downstream
- In 2007, the UN and others raised concerns about housing and water and urged governments to protect the rights of those displaced
Political and regional context
- Nile water sharing is governed by the 1959 Nile Waters Treaty (Egypt gets about 82% of the water, Sudan about 18%)
- Upstream countries (like Ethiopia and others) argue for revising the treaty as water use grows in the region
- The dam sits within this broader discussion about water rights and regional development
Recent event
- In January 2025, drones damaged the Merowe Dam power station, causing a fire and power outages in several towns, including Shendi, Port Sudan, Atbara, and Omdurman
This summary provides the main points in a shorter, easy-to-understand format.
This page was last edited on 29 January 2026, at 13:12 (CET).