Tanzania has started filling the Julius Nyerere Dam for the new 2,115 MW hydropower plant. The project cost is said to be about $3 billion.
READ MORE: Tanzania: Rapid Population Growth Worries Authorities
Tanzania currently has an installed capacity of around 1,600 MW. 48% of this capacity is from natural gas, 31% from hydropower, with the rest mostly from other fossil fuels. The contribution from solar is still below 1%. The Julius Nyerere hydropower plant will see Tanzania’s installed capacity jump to about 3,700 MW. This will give a much needed boost to power economic growth in a country with a population of about 63 million people.
READ MORE: Cartoonist Masoud Kipanya invents Tanzania’s first electric car
Looking at Tanzania, there is a lot of room to add more utility-scale solar. Solar currently has a market share of only 1%. The development of a strong East African power pool will also be critical as Tanzania could tap into the potential for wind in Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as Kenya’s geothermal potential. Tanzania’s hydro can then also support Kenya and Ethiopia’s wind as needed.