An Egyptian official affirmed Monday that Egypt insisted on its request to increase the number of gates of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) from two gates to four, to ensure the flow of water to Egypt and Sudan, Al Bawaba news reported. The official, who asked to keep his name unidentified, said that Egypt has a long path of negotiations with the Ethiopian intransigence, pointing out that the Addis Ababa talks that took place on January 6 and 7 were so tense. Ethiopian officials stressed that Addis Ababa has conducted extensive studies on the project before starting it and will not re-design the dam to increase the gates. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, that is scheduled to be completed in 2017, will be Africa's largest hydroelectric power plant with a storage capacity of 74 billion cubic metres of water. Egypt has repeatedly expressed concerns that filling and operating the dam on the Blue Nile will negatively affect its water supply. However, Ethiopia has consistently rejected the claims.
