Tekeze Hydroelectric Power Station is located in the Tekeze River basin, which consists of the construction of Africa's tallest arch dam—a 188 m high concrete hyperbolic arch dam, a 300 MW installed powerhouse, a 230 kV substation and a 105 km double circuit transmission line. Construction began in August, 2002 and completed in 2009. The project is owned by the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation with the total contract value of US$225.8 million.
After the completion, the project greatly alleviated the shortage of electricity supply in the country, effectively controlled flooding, balanced seasonal flows, and improved the downstream water supply and ecological environment.
The project was jointly commended by the Ethiopian Ministry of Energy and Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation and was also awarded the China Construction Engineering Luban Prize, the highest honor in China's construction industry by the China Construction Industry Association in 2011.
