Filling Option Assessments for Proposed Reservoirs in Abbay (Upper Blue Nile) River Basin to Minimize Impacts on Energy Generation of Downstream Reservoirs

The upper Blue Nile (Abbay) is very rich in water resources and the potential to develop hydroelectric power is enormous. Due to highly erratic rainfall and seasonal flows, very considerable regulation would be necessary for full utilization water resource in the basin. There are a number of proposed and under construction hydropower projects in Ethiopia (Abbay River Basin). The objective of this paper is to develop a strategy filling options based on simulation approach for the proposed upper cascades in Ethiopia with minimum impact on hydropower generation and irrigation demand in the downstream reservoirs. MIKE BASIN simulation model was used for feasible filling rules of upper cascades. Providing a formal quantitative analysis of water resources management by considering various filling options of the proposed reservoirs in the upper Blue Nile River basin is beneficial for understanding the effects on downstream reservoir operation. The scenarios were evaluated based on basin wide and project site economic benefits. The cumulative basin wide energy will increase during the filling period.