The Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project is located on the Rufiji River in the southeast of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Project is about 350km (in highway mileage) from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city.
The Rufiji River is the longest river in Tanzania, with a total catchment area of 184,000 km². The controlled catchment area upstream of the Dam site of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project is 158,000 km². The mean annual flow and runoff of the Dam site are 894 m3/s and billion m3 respectively.
The Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project is developed for Power Generation and Irrigation Flow, with a total installed capacity and annual power generation of 2,115MW and 6,307GWh respectively. The normal operation level of the reservoir is . The water-retaining structure has a maximum Dam height of . According to the Recommended Guidelines for Safety Inspection of Dams issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Project is classified as a Large Project, and the flood standard for the Spillway is checked as per PMF, with a corresponding flood level of m.
The Project layout consists mainly of a Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Gravity Dam, Main Spillway on the main Dam, 4 Saddle Dams on the right bank, an Emergency Spillway on Saddle Dam No. 1, Power Waterways and a Ground Powerhouse on the right bank, and a Switchyard.
Other Elements
1. 400 KV Switchyard
2. Permanent Bridge
3. Employer Operation Village
4. Access Roads