DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania commissioned a new 2 115-megawatt hydropower plant on Saturday, more than doubling the East African nation’s electricity generation capacity and creating a surplus that officials say could support power exports and industrial growth.
The Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), Tanzania’s biggest power plant, was built on the Rufiji River at a cost of about 7.45 trillion Tanzanian shillings (R45 billion).
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who inaugurated the plant, said it had helped eliminate a power generation shortfall that had led to frequent and economically crippling 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.
The project lifts the country’s total power generation capacity to 4 646MW against peak demand of 2 271MW, leaving a surplus of 2 375 MW for exports, Energy Minister Deogratius Ndejembi said.
He added that Tanzania was in discussions to export electricity to several countries, including Kenya and Zambia.
Construction of the plant began in 2019 but faced criticism from conservation groups, which argued that building a dam on a river running through the Selous Game Reserve could affect wildlife and habitats downstream.
The reserve is among the largest protected areas in Africa, home to one of its most significant concentrations of animals including elephant, black rhino and cheetah and a large variety of habitats, according to United Nations agency Unesco.
Hassan acknowledged the project’s controversial history but said Tanzania had overcome opposition during its development.
“We had no way to abandon this project, given its importance to our nation,” she said.
With the plant’s entry into operation, hydropower accounts for around 60% of Tanzania’s power generation, with a significant portion also generated from natural gas.
- Tanzania commissioned the 2,115-megawatt Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project on the Rufiji River, more than doubling its electricity generation capacity.
- The plant cost about 7.45 trillion Tanzanian shillings (R45 billion) and is the country's largest power station.
- Tanzania’s total power generation capacity now stands at 4,646MW, surpassing the peak demand of 2,271MW and creating a surplus of 2,375MW for potential exports.
- The government is negotiating electricity exports to countries including Kenya and Zambia.
- The project faced criticism due to concerns about its environmental impact on the Selous Game Reserve, but was completed despite opposition.
