Egypt s Minister of Housing Assem Al-Jazzar inspecting on-site the progress of the Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Power Project (JNHPP) on Rufiji River in Tanzania. Photo: Ministry of Housing
El-Gazzar emphasized that Egypt places great importance on the massive project, which embodies the distinguished relations between both countries.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is regularly monitoring its progress, he added.
The minister explained that his visit demonstrates Egypt's commitment to completing the project to contribute to the development of Tanzania.
The project also underscores the capabilities of Egyptian companies in executing large-scale projects in Africa, he said.
El-Gazzar, along with his delegation, toured various components of the project and received a detailed explanation of the project's progress. Construction on the main dam has reached 100 percent completion, as have the three water tunnels to turbine building.
Meanwhile, the hydroelectric power station is 77 percent complete, the power connection station is 99 percent complete, and the four subsidiary dams for the reservoir are 95 percent complete.
The concrete bridge on the Rufiji River is 100 percent complete and the surrounding roads are 60 percent complete.
The main dam gates have been successfully operated according to the Ministry of Housing.
Currently, the reservoir, which will have a capacity of 34 billion cubic metres when completed, has been filled with 14 billion cubic meters of water, just over the minimum operating level required for the dam’s turbines.
The JNNHPP, which will have a capacity of 2,115 megawatts, aims to generate 6.3 million megawatt-hours annually, sufficient to meet the needs of around 17 million Tanzanian households.
The dam will also control floods, while the reservoir will ensure the availability of water year-round for agricultural purposes and preserve the surrounding wildlife in one of Africa's and the world's largest forests.
The Egyptian consortium, Arab Contractors – El-Sewedy Electric, responsible for implementing the project signed a $2.9 billion contract to construct the JNHPP with the Tanzanian government in December 2018. Construction started in 2019.
More than 2,500 Egyptian and Tanzanian engineers and workers have participated in the construction of the dam, putting in a total of 22 million working hours, El-Gazzar has previously said.
In December 2022, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attended the inauguration ceremony of the JNHPP's lake filling, where he stressed that the project reflects Egypt's commitment to the development of Nile Basin countries and demonstrates that cooperation between Nile Basin countries is possible with the right political will.
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