The heightening and expansion of Roseires Dam on the Blue Nile was Arab-funded and Chinese-built. The
project, located near Sudan's south-east border with Ethiopia, cost an estimated US$450M to build and is one of the biggest development projects undertaken in Sudan in recent years.
The project added 10m in height and 12km in length to the existing dam, increasing its storage capacity to
7.4Bm3. The power supply capability of the dam increased by 50% to 1800MW, ensuring power supply to several Sudanese states which previously experienced frequent power outages.
The expanded dam will irrigate 2 million ha of new farmland in several states, boosting agricultural production. Professional services firm SMEC provided design and review of tender documents (initially prepared in the 1990s, but not constructed).
