Construction of Tanzania's $3bn hydro plant begins

Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli is expected to lay the foundation stone for the construction of Stiegler’s Gorge hydroelectric power project.

The 2,115 megawatts hydroelectric dam is expected to produce 5,920GWh of power annually. This is more than twice the country’s current capacity and consumption.

The dam will cost $3bn to build.

However, it is located in the middle of Selous Game Reserve - the main elephant sanctuary in the country and a World Heritage Site. This has raised concern and criticism among environmental activists who fear it will destroy wildlife habitat.

The idea of the dam was first conceived by the Tanzania's founding President Julius Nyerere, but it had to be abandoned due to financial and environmental concerns.

However, President Magufuli's government has been keen on industrial advancements, and the project has been viewed as a way of alleviating constant power outages which are hampering the manufacturing sector.

The massive project is part of Tanzania's power master plan, which envisions Stiegler’s Gorge helping interconnect the grids of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.

The dam will be fourth largest in Africa and ninth in the world.