Tanzania has officially started filling the 2.1 GW Julius Nyerere hydroelectric power plant on the Rufiji river in Stiegler’s Gorge in Morogoro Region (eastern Tanzania). The dam is being built by an Egyptian consortium comprising Arab Contractors (55%) and Elsewedy Electric (45%).
The US$2.9bn project consists of a dam and a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 2,115 MW. Construction started in 2019. Originally scheduled to be finished at the end of 2022, the plant is now expected to be commissioned in 2024. The dam's main body was completed in October 2022.
The dam, which was proposed since the 1980s, is controversial since it is located in the Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO's World Heritage Site. Tanzania's installed capacity totalled 1.6 GW at the end of 2020, including 55% of gas and 35% of hydropower.
