After comments by the Ethiopian Prime Minister on a possible delay in completing the construction of the Nahdha Dam, the German mechanical engineering group Feith signed an agreement to supply three turbines for the Addis Ababa dam on the Nile River at a cost of $ 4 billion.
The dam, which generates 6,000 megawatts of power, is the main focus of Ethiopia's efforts to become Africa's largest electricity exporter.
According to state media, on Wednesday, the agreement with Fuet, which already received 13 of 16 turbines at the dam with French company Alstom, came after the government canceled a contract with the army-operated Ethiopian metal and engineering company Metek to supply the remaining three turbines , Due to delays.
"The contract was awarded to FWET in a tender that was put forward two weeks ago with a deduction of $ 5.9 million in each turbine (of the three turbines)," MTI's commercial operations manager Abdul Aziz Mohamed was quoted as saying by the Ethiopian Radio and Television (FANA).
Salini Emprigello, Italy, remains the main contractor for the dam project, while METEC has been contracted to the metal sectors for electromechanical and hydraulic components.
In August, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed acknowledged that the dam would face delays for years, initially expected to be completed by 2020.
The government plans to restructure METEK, which is to be renamed the National Metal Engineering Company.
The construction of the Nahdha dam has led to a crisis in relations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over disagreements over Nile water quotas that could be affected by the giant project.
