708MW expected from eight dams this year

The 183-megawatts Isimba hydro-dam that was commissioned in March this year in Kayunga District. According to statistics from the Electricity Regulatory Authority, 708.34 Megawatts (MW) of power is expected to come on board in eight months. Photo by Alex Esagala

What you need to know:

  • Upon commissioning of the eight dams, adding 708.34MW, Uganda will have 1880.04MW of installed power generation capacity, Christine Kasemiire writes.

Aside from government’s favourite ‘baby,’ Karuma dam, seven more dams are expected to be commissioned this year.
According to statistics from the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), 708.34 Megawatts (MW) of power is expected to come on board in eight months.
In their order, 42MWAchwa 2 hydro power plant and 5.24MW Sindila Small Hydro Power (SHP) are expected to be commissioned next month. The 7.6MW Kyambura, 16MW Kikagati SHP and 16.5MW Siti2 hydro power project are expected to come next in June.

6MW Nyamagasani 1 and 15MW Nyamagasani 2 should be commissioned in October and the most anticipated highlight of the year, Karuma’s commissioning, is expected in December.
The fast paced commissioning follows the launch of 183MW Isimba dam by President Museveni in March, placing Uganda’s generation capacity at 1171.7MW.
Upon commissioning of the eight dams, adding 708.34MW, Uganda will have 1880.04MW of installed power generation capacity.

The developments are aimed at bringing Uganda closer to realising her power generation expansion plan 2016-2025, targeting 1 gigawatt (IGW) added generation capacity by 2020.
By 2016, Uganda’s installed generation capacity was at 905MW, meaning 266.7MW have been added since.
While Uganda’s generation creates a dent in the clouds, demand for power is still at bay. Uganda’s peak demand – still below 600MW – needs to increase to absorb the power generated.

Demand strategies
ERA’s chief executive officer Ziria Tibalwa Waako, explains that government strategies such as the free electricity connections policy and consumption from industrialist parks are envisaged to increase demand.
Uganda’s 22 industrial parks are expected to consume 1000MW by 2027. Whereas expansion of power generation moves at break-neck speed, development of the industrial parks lags behind, in part, because of insufficient funds.
It is critical that development of industrial parks picks up pace if demand is to meet the heightened supply.

Rebate policy
The rebate policy was introduced last year to enable consumers especially industries recover costs incurred when they extend power to themselves.
The policy is expected to increase power demand based on the new customer connections.
While the regulator received applications from Steel and Tube, Watoto Ministries and East African Roofing last year, so far, only Tembo Steels Uganda Limited has been approved.
The Iganga based industry has been approved to invest in a 40MW power line whose costs will be recovered periodically through rebates.

Potential demand
A study done by the power regulator determined that there is anticipated industrial demand of 540.38 Mega Volt Amp (MVA) by 2025 in Central and Eastern regions of Uganda of Tororo, Mbale, Jinja and Luzira among others.
Currently consuming 129.72MVA, the regions’ anticipated demand is premised on new industries setting up shop.