RUFIJI, Aug. 24 -- TANZANIA has emerged as East Africas leading electricity producer, following the commissioning of the 2,115-megawatt Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), a milestone that has more than doubled the countrys generation capacity.

The project, inaugurated on Saturday by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Rufiji, Coast Region, raises Tanzanias total installed electricity capacity to 4,646MW against a peak national demand of 2,271MW, creating a surplus of 2,375MW.

The surplus positions the country at the right step to accelerate industrialisation and expand electricity exports to neighbouring countries.

Tanzania has already moved to tap this opportunity, announcing plans to supply electricity to Zambia, once the ongoin...