Rumakali Hydroelectric Power Station

Rumakali Hydroelectric Power Station is a 222 megawatts hydroelectric power station under construction in Tanzania. The power station is under development by a consortium comprising Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), the government-owned electricity utility company and the China Gezhouba Group. The power generated at this power station will be sold to TANESCO, for integration into the national electric grid.

Location
The power station is located across the Rumakali River, northwest of the town of Njombe, in the Njombe District of the Njombe Region, in southwestern Tanzania. This is about 116 km, northwest of Njombe, the nearest large town.

Overview
In 2020, a consortium consisting of the engineering firms Multiconsult of Norway, Norplan Tanzania Limited and Tanzania Photomap Limited, was awarded the contract, worth over US$6 million, for a feasibility study and preparation of tender documents. Multiconsult was the lead, with the other two being sub-contractors. Work included feasibility studies for the two dams, the 338 MW Ruhudji Hydroelectric Power Station and the 222 MW Rumakali Hydroelectric Power Station. Other tasks included in the contracts involves preparation of conceptual design and tender documents, and conduct of environmental and social impact assessment studies for the two power stations and associated evacuation transmission power lines.

The design calls for the following developments, among others: (a) construction of a powerhouse (b) construction of a substation (c) installation of three turbines, each rated at 74 MW (d) laying of transmission lines from the power station to Iganjo in Mbeya Region, about 89 km away.

Construction costs
The most recent cos estimates are reported at US$553 million, inclusive of the high voltage transmission line to carry the energy to a substation where it will be integrated into the national grid.

Other considerations
In 2011, TANESCO had agreed for a Russian company, Zarubezhstroy Corporation, to build this power station at a price of US$700 million, over a five-year period. However those plans did not materialize.