Hydropower

RIFIJI: The 2.1MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) may start any time next week following an increase in water level.

The filling of the dam is expected to reach 163 metres above sea level in the next one week which is the minimum level of water capacity required to commence electricity generation.

According to the Energy Minister, January Makamba until May 23, this year the water level at the dam had reached 160.51 metres above sea level.

The filling of the dam at the JNHPP started on December 22, last year and the event was graced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The minister informed the august House here yesterday while tabling the 3.048tri/- budget estimates for his docket which is expected to transform the energy sector.

“I would like to inform the National Assembly that in the next one-week water filling at the dam will reach 163metres above sea level, which is the required minimum water level capacity to commence electricity generation,” he said.

The minister detailed that until April this year; the execution of the strategic project had reached 86.89% compared to 60.22 per cent reached in April last year.

Minister Makamba assured Members of Parliament that the project will be completed in the next financial year (June next year) as the government has allocated 1.5Trilion from its internal sources for completion of the project.

The minister further said in the next financial year, the government will complete the installation of power generating machines and construction of transmission line from power house to the switchyard.

He added: “It will also complete the construction of permanent roads at the project site and in the next financial year, we will also hold another historic event by switching on the first machine to add the power generated to the national grid.”

Elaborating, Mr Makamba noted that in the next financial year, the government through Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) is expected to commence execution of Corporate Social Responsibility as agreed in the JNHPP contract.

To start with, he said the government will construct a major technical college for electricity, oil and gas in Lindi Region. The project is expected to be completed in June next year.

Meanwhile, the minister said that for the first time in the country’s history, the government will in the next financial year add 50MW of solar power generated electricity to the national grid. This will be the first phase of the total 150MW that will be generated from the Kishapu, Shinyanga solar power project.

He said the government will complete the compensation payments to citizens who vacated the areas to pave way for execution of the project.

“A total of 27.63Bilion has been set aside for implementation of the compensation of which, 500milion will come from internal sources and 27.13Bilion from external sources,” detailed Mr Makamba.

Minister Makamba informed the august House that plans are also underway to construct power cooling station in every district countrywide.

Mr Makamba said the project aims at addressing the challenge of power loss, which is caused by long distribution lines in various parts in the country.

On rural electrification, the minister said, by recognising economic and social benefits obtained from reliable power supply, the government will in the next financial year proceed with the implementation of electrifying the remaining villages in the country.

He said the III round of REA project will include completion of power lines and connect new customers thus reaching all 12,318  remaining villages by June 2024.

Makamba said a total of 9.9Bilion has been set aside for execution of the project.

The minister also said that the government will implement hamlet electrification project to reach over 50% of the areas which are not electrified.