Installation works have begun on Uganda’s largest hydropower plant, paving way for completion of the project whose construction started in 2013.
Chinese contractors and their Ugandan counterparts are working round the clock installing machinery for the 600 MW plant Karuma Hydro Power Plant.
The power station is located at Karuma Falls on the Victoria Nile.
Construction of the Karuma Hydro Power Plant is being carried out by Sinohydro a Chinese company contracted to build the plant.
The contractor has announced that the progress of Karuma hydropower project located in Kiryandongo District is impressive.
Li Huiting, the deputy project manager says that the largest hydropower project in Uganda is 85% complete.
“The final stage involves designing the structure, installation and connecting cables,”Mr Huiting told Xinhua.
Officials of the project are working to have the project complete by next year.
In April 2016, construction suffered four months long delays after cracks emerged in its only dam. But major repairs were undertaken to remedy the situation and prevent further cracking. Construction resumed in August last year.
The USD 1.7 billion project is funded by Export and Import (EXIM) Bank of China.
Plans to build an hydropower project at Karuma Falls was first mooted in 1995 but construction has been delayed over the years mainly due to lack funding and change of plan.
Uganda’s power generation and installed capacity is estimated at 930 MW, according to government statistics.
