In a significant stride towards resolving Tanzania’s longstanding power supply issues, the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) was inaugurated yesterday, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s energy landscape. With an initial injection of 235 megawatts into the national grid, and an additional 235 MW slated for March, the project promises to alleviate the nation’s chronic power shortages.

Initiated in 2019 under the stewardship of Egyptian firms Arab Contractors and El-Sewedy Electric, the JNHPP represents a monumental investment of $2.9 billion (Sh6.6 trillion). Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Doto Biteko, disclosed plans for an official launch ceremony in mid-March, to be graced by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Biteko emphasized the transformative impact of the project, predicting an 85 percent reduction in power rationing with the current supply augmentation. Upon completion, the Nyerere Dam will boast a capacity of 2115 megawatts, powered by nine vertical turbines each capable of generating 235 megawatts.

With turbine number 8 already operational and turbine number 9 slated for activation in March 2024, tangible progress is evident. Tanzanians, burdened by the ramifications of persistent power shortages, eagerly anticipate the project’s culmination. Government assurances, previously criticized as nebulous, now materialize as the activation of the first turbine instills newfound optimism and tangible relief.