From the Webuild maxi dam in Ethiopia energy like from three nuclear power plants
The plant will double the African nation's energy production. Schools, hospitals, roads, bridges: an entire ecosystem has been created along with the work
by Marco Morino
3' min read
3' min read
"Gerd (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) is the most impressive hydroelectric plant in Africa, a work capable of producing renewable energy equivalent to three medium-sized nuclear power plants. Its inauguration represents the realisation of a vision of sustainable development for the whole of Africa, made possible also thanks to the work of Italian companies'.
This is how Pietro Salini, CEO of the Webuild Group, describes the large dam on the Blue Nile built in Ethiopia, some 700 kilometres north-west of the capital Addis Ababa. The gigantic infrastructure was inaugurated on Tuesday 9 September 2025. The official ceremony was attended by Pietro Salini, alongside Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and the heads of state of African countries that share a common goal of growth and unity with Ethiopia. There are actually two dams built by Webuild: the main one and the secondary one. Together, the two dams create a reservoir with a linear length of 172 kilometres. The system will produce 15,700 GW/h per year, doubling Ethiopia's energy production. In total, Webuild employed around 25,000 workers, mostly Ethiopians, for the construction of the project, with peaks of 10,000 people simultaneously. Due to its extraordinary size and unprecedented engineering complexity, Gerd, commissioned by the client Ethiopian Electric Power, has established itself as one of the most ambitious and advanced infrastructure projects undertaken globally in recent years.
One of the main challenges of the project was the diversion made to shift the course of the Blue Nile, from one bank to the other, during the construction phases of the dam. Salini continues: "The idea of building a large dam on the Blue Nile was confided to me many years ago by the then Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who had a vision: to transform the water of the great rivers into an inexhaustible source of energy and development. Many years later,' Salini continues, 'that vision is a reality, thanks to successive governments that have continued to believe in this project and thanks to the ability to implement it that competitive companies like ours have. It is a valuable lesson for Italy as well: great works need vision and perseverance, a common commitment of all political forces, and once they are realised they can change the lives of millions of people for the better'.
In one of the most remote regions of the African continent, Webuild's work has brought infrastructure, technology and expertise to where there were previously dirt roads and isolated villages. Not only the dam and the hydroelectric plant were built, but also schools, hospitals, sports facilities, roads and bridges: an entire ecosystem to support development that will remain with the country and the Ethiopian people. This is the synthesis of what was envisaged by the Meloni government's Mattei Plan: involving Italian companies in large projects that are functional to the growth of African countries by contributing engineering, skills and expertise to solve infrastructure problems and face the future together.
Besides its enormous energy potential, Gerd is also a political and cultural symbol. Its construction was in fact entirely financed by the Ethiopian government and population through the issuing and acquisition of bonds, without the support of multilateral banks.
