Tanzania: Arab Contractors, Elsewedy Electric Announce the Completion Of Nyerere Hydropower’s Main Dam Construction

By Prosper Makene The joint venture of the Arab contractors and Elsewedy have announced the completion work for the main dam of Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) The joint-centure companies have on 6th of October 2022 pouring last batch of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) of the main dam of Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP). Construction of the main dam lasted 687 days since the Rufiji River was diverted on the 18th of November 2020. In a statement provided by Elsewedy Electric said that the completion of the main dam construction triggered a two-month preparation phase for the impounding of Rufiji River’s water behind the dam. The preparations include the installation of giant gates and orifices on 3 different levels in the main dam in order to guarantee and maintain the necessary flow of the River to preserve the ecological integrity of the River downstream, and to discharge excess water caused by extraordinary floods during the dam’s operation. “Afterward, a critical engineering process will take place to close and plug the diversion tunnel heralding the start of the reservoir filling that extends 158,000 square kilometers upstream of the main dam with an operational capacity of 32.7 billion cubic meters and a maximum design capacity of 34 billion cubic meters,” the statement said. It adds: “The main dam reaches a height of 190 meters above sea level and is resting on a 20,000 square meter foundation (approx.) with a length of 1,033 meters; this achievement of master engineering required the casting of a 1.45 million cubic meters of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) along with 320,000 cubic meters of conventional vibrated concrete (CVC) with a daily rate up to 8,000 cubic meters with the dedication of 2,500 workers spending 22 million manhours.” It further said that despite challenges, the Project progresses towards the completion of the installation, testing, and commissioning of the nine (9) hydropower turbines starting in 2023 realizing Tanzania's dream since the 1960s. The Project serves Tanzania’s sustainability goals as it should double TANESCO’s grid capacity while controlling floods and providing all-year-round irrigation and fishing. However, the joint venture of the Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co) and Elsewedy Electric, was awarded the Project in an international competitive tender by the government of the United Republic of Tanzania for the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) for the construction of the 2,115 megawatts Julius Nyerere Hydropower project (JNHPP) at Stiegler's Gorge along the Rufiji river under EPC contract modality including installations, testing, and commissioning. The joint venture bid was the best bid technically and commercially. Therefore the Project USD 2.9 million EPC contract was signed on 12.12.2018 in Dar es Salaam, witnessed by the Ex-President of Tanzania and his Vice President (H.E. President\ Samia Hassan) and the Prime Minister of EGYPT.