Uganda’s Isimba hydroelectric dam to be commissioned

After Uganda’s flagship hydropower projects failed to come on line last year as scheduled due to unavoidable circumstances, the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), has announced that Isimba Hydroelectric Dam is set for commissioning before the end of this month.

The statement was made by Simon Kasyate, the UEGCL corporate affairs’ manager on Saturday during an interview with a media platform. All the dam’s four Kaplan turbine generator units were running by last Friday 11 January when UEGCL board of directors concluded their routine appraisal of the project led by the chairperson, Eng. Proscovia Njuki.

Kasyate said that they have written to the President, inviting him for the commissioning of the project on January 24 and are awaiting his response. He also added that commercial production and trade of power from the dam will begin in March.

The 183.2MW (245,700 hp) power plant is located at the village of Isimba on the Victoria Nile, in Kamuli District, approximately 44 km, by road, north of the Bujagali Hydroelectric Power Station. The project extends over approximately 2,867.6 acres and it comprises a concrete gravity dam, a clay-core rock-fill dam, a spillway, a power house, electro-mechanical equipment, switching stations, and auxiliary power transmission works.

The powerhouse structure features four 45.8MW Kaplan turbines. The Isimba HPP external switchyard is connected with the powerhouse by four overhead lines. Construction of the $567.7million Isimba hydropower dam commenced In April 2015. The task was undertaken by China International Water & Electric Corporation under UEGCL’s supervision.