In a country where access to energy remains a major challenge to growth, Tanzania is marking a historic turning point. On August 22, 2026, the commissioning of the Julius Nyerere Dam and Hydropower Plant fulfills a long-standing national ambition. With an investment of $2.9 billion, this strategic complex, built on the Rufiji River, has a generation capacity of 2,115 megawatts, bringing Tanzania’s total installed electricity capacity to 4,646 MW. Beyond this major energy boost, its 34-billion-cubic-meter reservoir will help regulate flooding along the river, thereby strengthening the country’s energy security and supporting its economic development.
While Tanzania’s energy landscape was characterized in 2024–2025 by an electricity access rate of barely 40% to 45%, according to the World Bank, the country is now entering a new era. Long hampered by aging infrastructure that resulted in systematic transmission and distribution losses of 14.48% of the electricity generated, Tanzania officially inaugurated the Julius Nyerere Dam and Hydropower Plant on August 22, 2026. Completed in just five years, this colossal project represents a total investment of USD 2.9 billion.
Tanzania has made significant progress in strengthening its energy infrastructure, which forms the foundation of our economic development. These achievements are part of the implementation of the ‘Mission 300,’ whose goal is to provide clean electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the Republic
For analysts, the commissioning of the facility addresses an urgent economic challenge: chronic power outages had previously cost businesses up to 15% of their annual production time, hampering the country’s economic momentum. Built on the Rufiji River, the Julius Nyerere complex now feeds 2,115 megawatts into the national grid. This additional capacity is intended to support Tanzania’s growing industrialization while expanding access to electricity for the population.
The inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant is a momentous occasion, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to the Minister of Energy for his leadership, as well as to the Ministry and TANESCO for the excellent preparation of this event. I would also like to express my special gratitude to the esteemed Dr. Mustafa Kamal Marbouki, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and his delegation.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the Republic
Beyond this massive electricity generation, the project also serves an environmental regulation function. Thanks to its 34-billion-cubic-metre reservoir, it will protect areas along the river from devastating floods. By bringing the country’s total capacity to 4,646 MW, the commissioning of the Julius Nyerere complex establishes itself as the new pillar of Tanzania’s energy sovereignty.
