Tanzania launches impoundment of Julius Nyerere hydroelectric dam

Tanzania has launched the impoundment of Julius Nyerere hydroelectric dam on the Rufiji River. Also known as the Rufiji Hydropower project, the 2,115MW dam will be the largest by installed capacity in East Africa and among the largest in Africa comparable to Egypt’s Aswan High Dam (2100MW) Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa Dam (2075MW) and Angola’s Lauca Dam (2069MW).

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Julius Nyerere hydroelectric dam

The dam project is being developed at a cost of US $2.77bn, in the heart of the Selous Game Reserve in the Pwani region, about 220 km by road southwest of the economic capital Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian government is undertaking the project to enhance access to affordable electricity which will propel economic growth as well as attract investment in the country.

The impoundment is a crucial step before the Stiegler’s Gorge hydroelectric plant is commissioned. Its basin will be able to hold 34 billion m3 of water thanks to a concrete dam in the shape of an arch, with a height of 134 m. Its reservoir will cover 1200 km2 in the middle of the Selous Reserve. The water flowing down from the dam will turn the turbines of a power plant with a capacity of 2,115 MW. The Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO), which is implementing the project, estimates the annual capacity of the plant at 5,920 GWh.

The project is being undertaken by Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric, both of Egypt, and overseen by Tanzanian engineers. The two Egyptian flagships started work a few months after the contract was awarded in April 2019.