The Tanzanian government has officially handed over the site of the Rufiji hydropower project in Stiegler’s Gorge (Tanzania) and the associated supporting infrastructure to the construction contractors Elsewedy Electric Company and Arab Contractors Company. This marks the start of the construction process, two months after they were awarded a contract to design and build the dam and the associated power plant.
The construction will take about 42 months and the commissioning is currently scheduled for mid-2022. Upon completion, the 2,115 MW project will be owned and operated by the domestic state-run power utility Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco). The government currently estimates the total construction costs at nearly US$3bn even though some studies argue that they may rise to US$9.8bn, taking into account potential cost overruns and external factors.
The project is highly controversial as it will be located in the Selous Game Reserve - a World Heritage site renowned for its animal populations. However, the Tanzanian National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) approved its construction in January 2019, considering that it would comply with all the relevant environmental protection measures and have no impact on the local wildlife.