What Nyerere dam needs to start generating power

Rufiji. Energy Minister January Makamba has stated that due to the continued positive trend of rains in the country, only 13 cubic metres of water are required to commence the generation of electricity in the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam.

He clarified that on December 22, 2022, when the filling of the dam started, it had 71 cubic metres of sea level, and until yesterday, the dam had 150 cubic metres of water. He said that within the past five months, there had been an increase in water levels of about 80 metres.

Mr. Makamba, who is the Bumbuli MP in Tanga Region, made the statement during his visit to the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) to inspect its progress, which has so far reached 86 percent and, when completed, will generate 2,115 megawatts of power.

"In order to generate electricity here, the minimum level of water required is 164 metres above sea level, which means we have 13 metres left to start this process. With the flow of water into the dam, which depends on the rainfall, we believe 13 metres will be reached soon.

"We may not be successful in this rainy season, but in a short period of time, if the rains continue to fall, that level will be reached. So far, where we have reached, there are no doubts about the ability of the dam to generate electricity; if they were there, they would start to appear now," said Mr. Makamba.

However, he made it clear that the dam will officially start generating electricity in 2024, as they have been saying or explaining in various places, including in Parliament.

The Resident Director of JNHPP, Mr. Lutengano Mwandambo, said the construction of the project has reached 85.06 percent, including the water diversion work, which has reached 99.63 percent; the water canals to run the plants have reached 99.08 percent; and the power transmission station has reached 98.87 percent.

"When the dam started to be filled with water, it was 71.5 metres above sea level; currently, it has reached 150 metres above sea level. It is a good step because we need water for generating electricity in this project," said Mr. Mwandambo.

The Director General of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco), Mr. Maharage Chande, said there has been high morale among the workers implementing the project, explaining that he is proud of the stage reached so far in the construction of the project.