Saturday, December 20, 2014

Egypt denies Ethiopia row over dam study deadline | Africa | Worldbulletin News


Egypt denies Ethiopia row over dam study deadline

Egypt denied reports that Ethiopia had asked to extend the deadline for a technical study on the anticipated impact of a controversial mega-dam

World Bulletin / News Desk
Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi on Friday denied reports that Ethiopia had asked to extend the deadline for a technical study on the anticipated impact of a controversial mega-dam that it is building on the Nile River's upper reaches.
"The agreement between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum to allow a six-month period for carrying out the evaluation has not changed," Moghazi told The Anadolu Agency.
In recent days, certain Egyptian media outlets had reported that Ethiopia had asked to extend the sixth-month deadline to two years.
Moghazi, however, said some research firms that had been shortlisted by a tripartite technical committee to conduct two impact studies on Ethiopia's dam project had asked to postpone submission of their proposals.
He added that the committee had given the firms a December 30 deadline by which to submit proposals.
Since September, a Tripartite National Committee – a 12-member experts' panel responsible for aiding implementation of recommendations issued by an International Panel of Experts – has held two working sessions in Addis Ababa and Cairo.
At the two meetings, representatives of the three countries were able to produce a list of seven firms, one of which will be selected to conduct the studies.
Ethiopia says the multibillion-dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is needed to generate badly-need energy. The project has strained Ethiopia's relations with downstream Egypt, which fears the project will reduce its historical share of water.
Addis Ababa, for its part, insists the new dam will benefit Egypt and Sudan, both of which will be invited to purchase the electricity thus generated.
Egypt and Ethiopia agreed to resume tripartite talks – along with Sudan – after Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met on the sidelines of a June summit in Equatorial Guinea.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Ethiopia-Egypt talks on Nile dam stumble | Economy | Worldbulletin News

Ethiopian says the dam project is meant to generate badly-need energy. But the project has strained Ethiopia's relations with downstream Egypt, which fears the project will reduce its water share

World Bulletin/News Desk
Consultations among experts of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt aimed at determining the impact of Ethiopia's $4.8 billion dam project on the Nile's upper reaches halted amid differences between Egypt and Ethiopia, an official said Sunday.
The Tripartite National Committee (TNC) – a 12-member experts’ panel responsible of facilitating implementation of recommendations of the International Panel of Experts concerning Ethiopia’s hydroelectric dam project – had so far held two working sessions in Addis Ababa and Cairo.
"The third session was supposed to be held in Khartoum on December 4-6, but could not be held due to disagreements," Bizuneh Tolcha, a senior official with the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Energy and Irrigation, told The Anadolu Agency.
The experts' panel recommended that two studies get conducted – one on the hydrological simulation model and another on a trans-boundary environmental, economic and social impact assessment, which led to the creation of the TNC by the three countries to get those studies done.
During the last two meetings, the three countries, according to Tolcha, were able to produce a list of seven firms, out of which only one would be selected to conduct the studies.
"Each country was supposed to come up with its proposals that comprise technical evaluation of the firms, but during a preparatory conference in Cairo on November 4, a disagreement occurred as to the points to be included in the studies," Tolcha said, declining to give further details.
"The matter has since been referred to the relevant ministers of the three countries so that they resolve the matter," he said. "Though minor, that disagreement has come as a stumbling block against the progress of the tripartite talks."
Ethiopian says the dam project is meant to generate badly-need energy. But the project has strained Ethiopia's relations with downstream Egypt, which fears the project will reduce its water share.
Addis Ababa, for its part, insists the new dam will benefit downstream states Egypt and Sudan, both of which will be invited to purchase the electricity generated by the dam.
The two countries agreed to resume tripartite talks – which also included downstream country Sudan – after Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met in Equatorial Guinea in June.
According to the original schedule, the TNC should meet in Addis Ababa on December 16 to select the firm to conduct the two studies.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Offers to study Ethiopia's dam expected mid-December - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online



EthiopiaOffers to study Ethiopia's dam expected mid-December - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online: "Offers to study Ethiopia's dam expected mid-December
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia were expected to consider international firm offers to conduct studies on the Grand Renaissance Dam Thursday, but several firms requested an extension
Ahram Online , Wednesday 3 Dec 2014
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Ethiopia's Great Renaissance Dam is constructed in Guba Woreda, some 40 km (25 miles) from Ethiopia's border with Sudan, June 28, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)
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The period for receiving offers from international firms to conduct studies on the impact of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam has been extended to mid-December.

Advisor to Egypt's irrigation minister, Alaa Yassin, told Al-Ahram Arabic news website Wednesday that some firms — originally expected to make their offers late November — requested an extension.
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia had selected seven international firms in October to prepare technical and financial offers in order to choose one to conduct studies on Ethiopia's dam.

The firms were from Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland and Australia.

A tripartite committee was expected to hold a meeting Thursday in Khartoum to study the offers and then choose a firm in Addis Ababa on 16 December.

The firm's report — based on study to be conducted over five months — will include the dam's impact on upstream Nile countries Egypt and Sudan, as well as its environmental, social and economic effects.

Cairo is concerned that Ethiopia's $4.2 billion dam project, which the Ethiopian government says is now 40 percent complete, could have an adverse effect on its water supply.

Relations between the two countries have been tense as a result. However, recent diplomatic efforts appear to have improved bilateral communication.

Several visits and meetings have taken place across the three countries in the past few months.

Egypt said that there are several technical issues that could be discussed with Ethiopia should the technical report conclude that the dam might negatively affect Egypt.

Egypt will likely need an additional 21 billion cubic metres of water per year by 2050, on top of its current 55 billion cubic metre quota, to meet the water needs of a projected population of 150 million, according to Egypt's National Planning Institute."




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