Uganda: Karuma Heralds Era of Abundant Power

The 700 Megawatt Karuma hydropower project kicks off this week after the successful selection of a consultancy firm to carry out feasibility studies.

And in more good news, the Standard Bank Group and Canada-based Lonsdale have expressed an interest in joining a public-private partnership to bring the project online.
The 250 MW Bujagali hydroelectric project is on track and is expected to be complete by early 2011. The two dams should be able to meet – and even surpass – Uganda’s power demand, estimated to be growing at 8 per cent or 30 MW per annum.

Uganda’s peak electricity demand was 399 MW in 2008, up from 384 MW in 2007, while off-peak demand was 205 MW and 213 MW. The Bujagali project is designed to meet the country’s electricity needs in the medium term while Karuma’s optimised capacity will address the long term.

AllAfrica