This archive report was first published on 21 August 2021.
Published on August 21, 2021, the Julius Nyerere Hydro-Power Project (JNHPP) in Tanzania is making significant progress, with the project now 62.7 percent complete.
The construction of the dam, also known as Stiegler's dam project, is focused on fixing the delicate machinery to get the dam ready for power generation. Engineers have recently installed the draft tubes at the basement of the ninth turbine, which will evacuate water from the power generation machines.
The concrete slab of the base of the dam is only 42.7 meters above sea level and will support 27 turbines that are yet to be installed. The works now are for strengthening the concrete walls for water tunnels and the final installation of the draft tubes before the turbines are fixed, ready for the power generating machines to be tested.
Once completed, the dam's turbines individually have a capacity to generate 235 megawatts, and in total, JNHPP will generate 2,115 MW to be added on the national grid, with a surplus to be sold to neighboring countries.
Energy Minister Dr. Medard Kalemani recently inspected the construction work in company of visiting Egyptian Works Minister Assem Gazzer. The dam is being built by a consortium of Elsewedy Electric and Arab Construction, both from Egypt.
However, the JHNNP has not been without controversy. International environmental conservationists have criticized the project for its potential ecological disaster, threatening wildlife, especially the black rhinoceros and elephants. Additionally, about 2.6 million trees were felled to pave the way for the construction, which has been widely criticized for its large-scale destruction of the game reserve as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
