News
Uganda ignores donor concerns on Karuma
Rapids on the River Nile at the site of Uganda’s proposed 600MW Karuma hydropower station. Picture: Morgan Mbabazi
Posted Sunday, January 8 2012 at 14:21
The donors, led by key financier KfW, at one time said they would engage a new firm to do an independent feasibility study, but have yet to do so.
The source said without a new feasibility study, the donors are still referring to the Norwegian consortium Norpak Power Ltd study that had developed a “conservative design” in the mid-1990s, informed by the notion that there was low demand for electricity in Uganda.
Keith Muhakanizi, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, said the projected cost would be lower than the initial estimates of $2.2 billion because of a “new approach.”
Initial design proposals suggest a dam with a headrace, tailrace and an underground facility housing 6 turbines each with nominal rating of 100MW and a spinning reserve of 10 MW.
It will be located about 3km upstream of Karuma Bridge and 80km downstream of Lake Kyoga on the River Nile.
Construction of the project will be supervised and managed by the Uganda Electricity Generation Company, the government nominee and licensee of the project.
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