A high-level Egyptian delegation on Saturday visited the hydroelectric Stiegler’s Gorge dam project in Tanzania, which is being constructed by an Egyptian consortium of Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric at a US$2.9 billion cost.
The head of the Central Agency for Reconstruction in Egypt, Mahmoud Nassar, said that the project receives great attention and regular follow-up from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The visit’s aim is to check on the project’s progress, Nassar said, adding that the goal of the project is to control flooding at the Rufiji River, generate power and preserve the environment.
According to Nassar, the visit was accompanied by Tanzanian Minister of Energy Medard Kalemani, concerned officials from the Tanzanian side, Egyptian Ambassador to Tanzania Mohamed Abul Wafa, and the board of the Egyptian consortium.
The Tanzanian Minister of Energy praised the project’s progression since its inception on December 15 2018, and further praised the commitment of the consortium to contract the project and finish by June 2022.
The power station is set to located across the Rufiji River in the Stiegler’s Gorge, at the Selous Game Reserve in the Morogoro region, lying 220 kilometers southwest of Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital and largest city of Tanzania. The project’s goal is generating electricity of 2,115 MW to provide Tanzania’s energy needs, as well as controlling water levels during flood periods and satisfy the water needs for the Tanzanian state.
The 134-meter dam will have a storage capacity of 34 million cubic meters of water. The reservoir will be 100-kilometers long and 1,350 square kilometers in area, while the earth embankment will be 3.7 million cubic meters.
The powerhouse will be above-ground and consist of nine vertical Francis turbines with capacity ranging from 200 MW to 300 MW each, and power generators with a capacity of 1,200 MW each. Power transformers of 235-353 MVA each with a combined capacity of 2,470 MVA will be installed. The plant will also include a 400 kV switch yard.
Additional infrastructure will include electric switch gears, a protection system and fire detection system, along with auxiliary power supply, DC systems, cooling and sewage systems.
The construction of 10-kilometer internal roads, 15-kilometer long residential roads, 350 permanent houses and 3,000 secondary houses are also part of the project.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
