Egyptian coalition completes construction of Rufigi Dam in Tanzania

CAIRO – 18 November 2020: Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker and Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Areas Assem al-Gazar joined on Wednesday Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa in celebrating the completion of the construction of the dam on Rufigi River.

The dam is part of Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station planned to have a capacity of 2,115 megawatts and produce 6,307 GWh per annum. The capacity of the dam's reservoir is 34 billion cubic meters.

The ministers are accompanied by the deputy minister of foreign affairs, representatives of the Egyptian Armed Forces' Engineering Authority, and the coalition of Egyptian firms that are carrying out the project. Those are Elsewedi Electric and the Arab Contractors. That is in addition to officials from a number of Egyptian Banks.

The representatives of the firms clarified the executive status of the project whose contract – worth $2.9 billion – was signed in 2018 by the prime ministers of both countries

The dam will secure the electricity needs of 17 million Tanzanian families, inhibit floods, provide water for irrigation, and preserve wild life and forests.