Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities Dr. Assem El Gazzar held the periodical meeting to follow up on the implementation status of Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant and Dam, which is being implemented by the JV of the Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric on Rufiji River in Tanzania. This was in the presence of ministry officials and representatives of the JV project.
Dr. Assem Gazzar stated that President Abdel Fattah El Sisi follows up on a regular basis the implementation of the project, which falls within the distinguished ties between the two countries, Egypt’s interest in African affairs, and the great importance that this project represents for the Tanzanian people. Besides, the expected role of the dam and plant in providing electricity to Tanzania, controlling the flooding of the Rufiji River, and conserving the environment. This project also embodies the abilities and capabilities of Egyptian companies in implementing major projects, especially in Africa.
The Minister of Housing pointed out that the project is aiming at the construction of a dam with a total length of 1025m at crest level and 131m in height. It has 7 water exits. Its capacity is 34 billion m3. Besides, the construction of a hydropower plant with a capacity of 2115MW The plant is located on the Rufiji River in the Selous Game Reserve at Morogoro, which is south of Dar es Salam (Tanzania's largest city and commercial capital).
It is noteworthy that the Egyptian JV (the Arab Contractors Company and Elsewedy Electric Company signed the contract in December 2018 in Dar es Salam in Tanzania. It was in the presence of the Tanzanian President and Dr. Moustafa Madbouli, the Egyptian Prime Minister. The contract value is $2.9 billion. The project objectives are to generate 6307 MW/hour annually for the consumption of 17 million Tanzanian families. In addition to these, the dam is controlling the flood to protect the environment from the risks of floods and swamps, storing about 34 billion m3 of water in a new lake to ensure permanent water availability throughout the year for agriculture, and preserving the surrounding wildlife in one of the largest forests in Africa and the whole world.