DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's power utility company on Saturday announced that the connection of electricity from the mega Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) to the national grid began Friday.

The Tanzania Electric Supply Company Ltd. (TANESCO), a government-owned company, said in a statement Saturday that trial runs will follow the connection of power to the national grid.

"Connection of power to the national grid is a milestone to the country's electricity generation," said the statement.

The connection of electricity to the national grid is one of the completion stages in the construction of the dam which will help reduce and eventually eliminate power rationing, said the statement about ongoing power rationing caused by water decline in hydropower dams.

The government of Tanzania in 2018 signed a joint construction contract with Arab Contractors and El-Sewedy from Egypt for the JNHPP, which has an installed capacity of 2,115 megawatts. The project is scheduled to be finished in January 2024.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy Doto Biteko said in September that construction of the mega hydropower project has reached 91.7 percent.

He said the 6.6 trillion Tanzanian shillings (about 3 billion U.S. dollars) project, once operational, will address the current power shortage facing the country. - Xinhua