Construction of the Millennium Hydropower Plant, the biggest hydropower plant in Africa yet, officially launched on Saturday in Benishangul Gumuz regional state. The dam, which will be constructed on Nile River some 40km from the Sudanese border, is expected to be completed in four years time.

With a generating capacity of 5,250MW, the dam will be the largest artificial lake with a capacity of holding 63 billion cubic meter of water, twice the size of the largest natural lake in the country – Lake Tana. During the cornerstone laying ceremony, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that the country would be faced with the massive task of financing the project, which is projected to be around 80 billion birr.