Tanzania has commissioned the 2,115-megawatt Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, more than doubling the country’s electricity generation capacity and creating a surplus that could support power exports and industrial growth.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan inaugurated the plant, which was built on the Rufiji River at a cost of about 7.45 trillion Tanzanian shillings, equivalent to 2.84 billion dollars.
According to the Energy Minister, Deogratius Ndejembi, the project raises Tanzania’s total power generation capacity to 4,646 megawatts against peak demand of 2,271 megawatts, leaving a surplus of 2,375 megawatts for export.
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Ndejembi said Tanzania was already discussing electricity exports with several countries, including Kenya and Zambia.
Hassan said the project had helped eliminate power shortfalls that previously caused frequent and economically damaging blackouts.
“We are confident that this project will increase opportunities for business, investment, and production, create jobs, and boost individual income and the national GDP as a whole,” she said.
Construction of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project began in 2019 but faced opposition from conservation groups over concerns about its potential impact on wildlife and habitats downstream.
The dam is located on the Rufiji River, which runs through the Selous Game Reserve, one of Africa’s largest protected areas and home to elephants, black rhinos, cheetahs and diverse habitats, according to UNESCO.
Hassan acknowledged the project’s controversial history but said Tanzania had overcome opposition to complete the development.
“We had no way to abandon this project, given its importance to our nation,” she said.
With the plant now operational, hydropower accounts for about 60 per cent of Tanzania’s electricity generation, with natural gas also contributing significantly.
Reuters
