Koysha Dam
Gravity dam on the Omo River in Ethiopia
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Koysha Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam that has been under construction since 2016 on the Omo River in South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region. Owned by Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), the dam will produce up to 6460 GWh of electricity per year. In May 2016, the Italian firm Salini Impregilo contracted with EEP to build the dam, which will be 180 m high and made of rolled-compacted concrete (RCC). The reservoir volume will be 9×109 m3. Once completed, the dam will be the second-largest dam in Ethiopia after the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).[1][2]
| Koysha Hydroelectric Power | |
|---|---|
Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia where the dam construction takes place | |
 Interactive map of Koysha Hydroelectric Power | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Location | Omo River, South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region |
| Coordinates | 6.578°N 36.550°E |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | 28 March 2016 |
| Construction cost | $2.80 billion |
| Owner | Ethiopian Electric Power |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Roller-compacted concrete |
| Height (foundation) | 180 m |
| Length | 990 m |
| Spillways | 6 |
| Spillway type | Gated |
| Spillway capacity | 13100 m3/s |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 9×109 m3 |
| Surface area | 200 km2 |
| Maximum length | 130 km |
| Power Station | |
| Turbines | 8 |
| Installed capacity | 2.16 GW |
Construction
According to the Project Deputy Manager Abayneh Getnet, the dam reached 60% completion in September 2023 and was expected to generate 1,800MW using six turbines.[3][4] Getnet added that after completion of the project, an artificial lake 130 km long covering an area of 200 km2 be created. Addis Fortune reported in 2024 that the dam construction was postponed in several occasions due to recurrent forex crisis in the country.[5]
In October 2025, officials announced that the project reached a height of 128 meters, with 70% of the civil works completed.[6]