DAR ES SALAAM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Tuesday inaugurated a 167.82-megawatt natural gas power plant at Kinyerezi on the outskirts of the east African nation's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.
The 344-million-U.S.-dollar power project is part of Magufuli's drive to turn the country into an industrial economy by 2025.
Tito Mwinuka, managing director of state-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company Ltd, said the 167.82 megawatts will be gradually connected to the national grid.
Minister for Energy Medard Kalemani said a hydropower generation project, at the Stiegler's Gorge in the Selous Game Reserve, will start to be implemented in July.
The minister said the 2,100 MW project will see the construction of the largest dam in Tanzania along the Rufiji River.
Kalemani said the government is building relevant infrastructure that will simplify the implementation of the project.
"It is our hope that the project will be completed by early 2021," he said.
Kalemani said the Stiegler's Gorge power generation project is expected to completely end the country's power woes and sustain local industries with electricity and sell the surplus outside the country.
Tanzania, with a population of approximately 54 million, has just around 1,400 MW of installed grid capacity.