Tanzania will soon become the leading electricity producer and supplier in East Africa, thanks to construction of the largest hydropower project in the region.
The country’s power supremacy is envisaged in the next three years, after completion of the mega Rufiji hydropower generation project at Stiegler’s Gorge in the Selous Game Reserve, Coast region.
“The project worth 2.9bn USD is expected to produce more than 2100MW will be implemented in the next 36 months by the Egyptian Arab Contractors Company.
He made the statement at the State House during the signing of the contract between the government and Egyptian Arab Contractors for the project construction.
At the signing ceremony, which President John Magufuli and Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly attended as well, the minister for energy Hon. Dr Millard Kalemani named the second largest hydropower generation project in East Africa as Uganda’s Bugari Dam that has the 300MW capacity.
“In Africa, the Rufiji project will be the fourth biggest dam, with the first being Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, which is under construction and is expected to produce 6,450MW upon completion in 2022,” he said.
According to the minister, the second largest project is Mambira Dam in Nigeria that produces 3,050MW ahead of Ethiopian Shaika Dam that produces 2,160MW.
The Aswan Dam in Egypt, with 2,100MW comes fifth in the ranking, beating Raula Dam in Angola, which produces 2,066M, said Dr Kalemani.
He said the sealed deal has elevated Tanzania to the 60th position in the ranking of 70 countries with the biggest hydroelectricity projects.
The world’s biggest project is Three Gorges of china that produces 22,500MW, with Itapu Dam in Brazil that produces 14,000MW coming second. Ghezouba Dam with 13,860MW in China also is the third.
Its water reservoir will be 100 km long and 25 km wide, with the storage capacity of up to 35.2 billion cubic litres of water at once.