Tanzania will officially inaugurate the 2,115 MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) on 22 August 2026, marking the formal opening of one of Africa's largest hydropower projects.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to officiate the ceremony at the project site on the Rufiji River in Tanzania's Coast Region. The announcement was made by Energy Minister Deogratius Ndejembi ahead of the event.
The inauguration comes more than a year after the plant reached full generation capacity. In April 2025, Tanzania announced that all nine generating units had been activated. Each Francis turbine has a capacity of 235 MW, giving the plant its full installed capacity of 2,115 MW. The first unit had entered operation in February 2024.
A landmark project on the Rufiji River
The Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project is located at Stiegler's Gorge on the Rufiji River, approximately 350 kilometres from Dar es Salaam. The project is owned by Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) and was developed under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning contract awarded to an Egyptian joint venture of Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric.
TANESCO reports that the contract was signed in December 2018, with construction commencing on 15 June 2019.
The project comprises a large roller-compacted-concrete dam approximately 1,025 metres long and around 134 metres high. Four additional saddle dams form a reservoir with a storage capacity of approximately 34 billion cubic metres. The project also includes a 400 kV substation and transmission infrastructure connecting the power station to Tanzania's national grid.
The powerhouse contains nine 235 MW Francis turbine-generator units. The plant is expected to generate around 5,920 GWh of electricity annually.
A project financed by Tanzania
JNHPP is also notable for its financing model. Unlike many large African hydropower projects, the scheme was financed by the Government of Tanzania rather than by international development-finance institutions.
The original contract value was approximately US$2.9 billion. More recent Tanzanian reporting puts the total project investment at around TSh7.4–7.45 trillion.
The project is therefore one of the largest infrastructure investments undertaken directly by the Tanzanian government and represents a major commitment to hydropower as the backbone of the country's electricity system.
From Stiegler's Gorge to Julius Nyerere
The project has a long history. Originally known as the Stiegler's Gorge Hydropower Project, plans for a major dam at the gorge on the Rufiji River date back several decades. The name Stiegler's Gorge refers to German engineer Wilhelm Stiegler, who was killed by an elephant during an expedition in the area in 1907. The gorge subsequently became known by his name.
The hydropower project was revived under President John Magufuli after decades of stalled plans. In 2017, his government announced that the 2,115 MW project would be developed as a flagship national infrastructure project, with the government taking responsibility for its financing. A construction contract was subsequently awarded to the Egyptian joint venture of Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric, and the contract was signed in December 2018 while the project was still officially known as Stiegler's Gorge.
In October 2019, shortly after construction had commenced, the project was renamed the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) in honour of Tanzania's founding president, Julius Kambarage Nyerere. The change reflected the government's portrayal of the project as the fulfilment of Nyerere's long-standing vision of using Tanzania's rivers to support national development and industrialisation.
The location, however, remains Stiegler's Gorge, and the former name continues to appear frequently in historical references to the project.
The project has been controversial because of its location within the former Selous Game Reserve, a protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Conservation organisations raised concerns about the impact of the dam and reservoir on one of Africa's major wildlife areas. The Tanzanian government has argued that the project is necessary for electricity supply, flood control and broader economic development.