Construction of Tanzania’s 2115 MW Rufiji Hydropower Project Begins

• The official announcement of the construction of the 2115 MW Rufiji hydropower project will be made this Friday according to senior Tanzanian government official.
• The historic US 3 billion hydropower project will be launched by President John Magufuli on July 26, said Hassan Abbasi, director of the Tanzania Information Services Department and chief government spokesperson.

The project will have a capacity of 2115 megawatts and is expected to spur socioeconomic growth of the east African country. The decision marks a major step of the government to fulfill its commitment of bolstering the energy sector for broader national industrialization as promised during the presidential campaign in 2015.

The project, located southeast of the country’s largest game reserve, the Selous, covering 50,000 square km and bordering the Coast and Morogoro regions, is a goal of the current government to deliver on a 1980 plan that could not take off until after 39 years owing to resource constraints, the official said.

Earlier this year in April, CRDB and UBA banks issued Advance Payment and Performance Guarantees to the Contractor-the joint venture of Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric S.A.E as per the project requirements.

Apart from securing power supply to the country by adding 2115 MW to the state grid, Abbasi said larger reservoirs to be constructed will serve multiple purposes, including flood control, water supply, irrigation, fisheries and recreation.

“The project is expected to unleash a myriad of untold benefits to hardworking Tanzanians,” said Abbasi, adding that an estimated 12,000 people will be directly employed during the three years of the project’s implementation.

The project will also boost tourism through sport fishing, boat rides and photographic safaris, the official said.

It will also benefit people within and outside the project area through various socioeconomic activities such as agriculture and aquaculture, among others, the official added.

The project has come under fire from environmentalist. Read more

Author: GBA News Desk