CAIRO – 22 December 2022: The establishment of Tanzania's Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) by Egyptian and Tanzanian hands reflects Egypt’s commitment to support development programs and projects in the Nile Basin countries, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said.
Attending a celebration to launch the first filling of the huge dam’s reservoir, Shoukry said the project is an example of the development that the African countries can achieve on the way toward enhancing constructive regional cooperation.
Cooperation between Nile Basin countries is possible and effective when the political will exists, Shoukry added.
The Egyptian foreign minister conveyed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s greetings to Tanzania’s President Samia Hassan and the Tanzanian government and people on this historic occasion.
The project effectively contributes to developing the sisterly Tanzanian state and achieving a qualitative leap in the nature of joint cooperation on the strategic level, Shoukry said.
He added that the project is practical evidence of the advanced capabilities that the Egyptian companies have enjoyed over the past years regarding the implementation of mega projects in the infrastructure field in a number of African countries.
The ambitious JNHPP has a capacity of 2,115 MW an is set to become the largest in East Africa and Africa’s fourth largest.
The mega dam, whose construction began in 2019, is being carried out by the Egyptian consortium of Arab Contractors and El Sewedy Electric at a cost of $2.9 billion.
The project aims at providing Tanzania with required power and controlling the Rufiji River flood.
Cooperation between the two countries to implement the project “confirms the Egyptian companies’ ability in implementing mega projects, especially for our brothers in the African continent,” a statement by the Egyptian Housing Ministry said on Wednesday.
This month, Tanzania will start filling the dam’s reservoir, the ministry said.
Water level behind the dam is set to reach 163 meters at a capacity of 13.5 billion cubic meters by April 2023, according to hydrological studies, which vary annually according to the expected amounts of rain.
The water level at the lake will reach its maximum by June 2024 at 184 meters with a capacity of 34 billion cubic meters.
The project includes establishing a dam on the Rufiji River at a height of 134 meters with seven gates for water and at capacity of around 34 billion cubic meters.
The project also includes a hydropower station with a capacity of 2,115 MW beside the Rufiji River in the Selous Game Reserve west of Dar Es-Salam City.
The electricity generated via the 400kV high voltage power line will be transferred to a substation where the electricity will be integrated into the country’s national electricity grid.
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