https://af.reuters.com/article.../idAFKCN1BB1FI-OZATP



TOP NEWS AUGUST 31, 2017 / 7:04 AM


Tanzania invites bids for hydropower project in game reserve

By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala



DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania has invited bids to build a 2,100-megawatt (MW) hydroelectric plant in a World Heritage site renowned for its animal populations, despite opposition from conservationists to the long-delayed project.

The East African nation considers the project at Stiegler’s Gorge in the UNESCO-designated Selous Game Reserve as vital in its bid to diversify its energy mix and end chronic electricity shortages. The project would more than double the country’s power generation capacity.

The Energy and Minerals Ministry said it expected construction of the power plant to be completed within three years, according to a document published on its website late on Wednesday.

The deadline for bids is Oct. 16, according to the document, which specifies that work must be completed within a period of 36 months, with a maximum mobilisation period of three months.

The government did not say how much the project would cost and how it would raise financing.

President John Magufuli’s office said last month the long-delayed hydroelectric plant would be built “to speed up the development of the country”.

Experts from Ethiopia, which is also building new hydro-electric dams, would advise the government, Magufuli’s office said.

Critics say construction of a dam in a major river that runs through the Selous Game Reserve could affect wildlife and their habitats downstream.

Covering 50,000 sq km, the reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa, according to UNESCO. It is known for its elephants, black rhinoceroses and giraffes, among many other species.

The WWF conservation group said in a report in July the proposed large-scale hydropower dam “puts protected areas of global importance, as well as the livelihoods of over 200,000 people who depend upon the environment, at risk.”

“The impact on Tanzania’s largest river would affect many ecosystem services it provides. It would affect tourism in Selous downstream in some of the most abundant wildlife areas in the game reserve,” it said.

The government has also been criticised by environmental groups for granting Australia-based miner Mantra Resources rights to build a $400 million uranium mine in the sanctuary.



Tanzania said in February it needed $46.2 billion in investment over the next 20 years to revamp ageing energy infrastructure and to meet soaring demand for electricity.

Investors have long complained that a lack of reliable power is an obstacle to doing business in East Africa’s second biggest economy.

Tanzania aims to boost power generation capacity to 10,000 MW on the next decade from about 1,500 MW now by using hydropower and some of its vast natural gas and coal reserves.

Editing by Maggie Fick and Edmund Blair

More ivory going to China.....

Not to worry. A Chinese company will almost certainly get the construction bid- which means the dam will fail after a few years and the land will return to normal

2100 Megs doubles the electrical capacity? Wow.

Not much ivory left in the Selous...I don't reckon.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Not much ivory left in the Selous...I don't reckon.

Hi Lane, hope you're well and the Texas flood situation begins to resolve.

I was in Kilwa last year. It is situated between the Selous and Mozambique. From what I was told, it is smack in the migration route between the two. Federico Gelinni told me it was once an Elephant paradise. I saw trophy pictures of 5 Italian hunters posing with HUGE, long ivory all in the same picture.

Anyway, when I was there, I saw no less than 100 dead Elephants, faces chopped off. It was the saddest thing I'd ever seen. One of the consequences to no Jumbos around was that this area has very little surface water. The Elephants dug the sand rivers with their Ivory. No Elephants, no water

It allowed for all the other species, access to that water. There was death and chaos everywhere you looked. The symbiotic relationships between the Elephants and other species can't be overlooked either.

As long as there is corruptible officials and someone willing to pay, there will be no more Elephants.

Take care,

Steve

BTW...all good in my neck of the woods.

So the gas line project - power station to Dar didnt work out as planned?

Things have to change in Tanz before serious investment occurs.

And of course, the Chinese seem to build everything and land-bank leases.

Sad to hear about the rampant poaching.

Ledvm I hope all ok there. Looks a huge mess in some areas.

It's a shame and a sin.

I will sometimes swear, in stronger or weaker moments, that the days of the Sultan of Zanzibar were far better than now.

quote:

Originally posted by Rockdoc:
So the gas line project - power station to Dar didnt work out as planned?

Things have to change in Tanz before serious investment occurs.

And of course, the Chinese seem to build everything and land-bank leases.

Sad to hear about the rampant poaching.

Ledvm I hope all ok there. Looks a huge mess in some areas.

The gas did work, and there are a few power plants running off of it; I wish they would do more. TANESCO, the state utility, has large debts to many different power providers. For some reason gas is being ignored in favor of many other large projects, not just for power generation, but the LNG terminal for export is all but dead, meanwhile the Uganda pipeline and various rail and road projects power on. Doesn't make sense.

If there is any good news I believe the poaching is lessening and that this government takes it more seriously than the last.

Fulvio, as you no doubt observe, many of the roads bring built use Chinese labour, with a token local workforce, and Chinese equipment.

Often built with western (often USA) aid money.

Sad....

quote:

Often built with western (often USA) aid money.

Yap ... could it be a form of self-flagellation?