Hydropower generation has picked up over the past week as heavy rains fed into major hydropower reservoirs in central Tanzania.

The water level at the Kidatu reservoir, Tanzania's major hydropower dam, has increased to 444.01 meters above sea level, up from 433.7 meters, according to reports reaching here on Monday.

Its electricity generating capacity has increased accordingly from 30 megawatts to 120 megawatts.

The water level at the Kihansi reservoir has also upped to boost power generation to 180 megawatts, up from 40 megawatts.

The Mtera Dam, however, still remains idle despite the fact that its water level rose to 688.32 meters above sea level. The hydropower dam needs a minimum water level of 690 meters to operate properly.

Tanzania has been relying on hydropower for the past four decades, with seven hydropower plants combining to boast of an installed electricity generating capacity of 656 megawatts.

Yet due to the failure of rainfall in the short rain season late last year and early this year, these hydropower plants were only operating at 30 percent of their capacity, thus causing a nationwide power rationing that at one time lasted for as long as 16 hours a day in Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania's demand for electricity is 550 megawatts while its actual power consumption is around 400 megawatts for the time being.

The country has been resorting to natural gas-fired turbines to compensate for the electricity shortfall.

The steadily decreasing rainfall in recent years have forced the Tanzanian authorities to consider diversifying electricity generation so as to reduce sole reliance on hydropower, though affluent in the country but unreliable.

Natural gas is one source of energy for this power generating diversification program while coal stands the other.

Source: Xinhua