TANZANIA, Aug. 17 -- TANZANIA is entering a new energy era with the commissioning of the 2,115-megawatt Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) on Saturday, a landmark investment that could fundamentally reshape the countrys economic prospects.

Built on the Rufiji River at a cost of about 7.452tri/- and financed entirely from domestic resources, the project gives Tanzania something every industrialising economy needs: The capacity to generate large amounts of reliable electricity from its own resources.

That is something Tanzanians should be proud of. JNHPP will raise the countrys installed electricity generation capacity to 4,646MW, strengthening energy security and providing a much firmer foundation for industrialisation, investment...