Ayago Hydroelectric Power Station

Last updated

Ayago Hydroelectric Power Station
Uganda location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Map of Uganda showing the location of Ayago.
Country Uganda
LocationAyago, Nwoya District
Coordinates 02°17′02″N32°01′21″E / 2.28389°N 32.02250°E / 2.28389; 32.02250
Purpose Power
StatusProposed
Dam and spillways
Impounds Victoria Nile
Ayago Power Station
Commission date2030 (Expected)
Installed capacity 840 megawatts (1,130,000 hp)

Ayago Hydroelectric Power Station, also Ayago Power Station, is a planned 840 megawatt hydroelectric power project to be constructed in Uganda. [1] If it is built, Ayago would be the largest power station in Uganda, based on generating capacity. [2]

Contents

Location

The power station will be located at Ayago, on the Victoria Nile, in Nwoya District, in the Acholi sub-region, in the Northern Region of Uganda. This location is close to the point where the Ayago River enters the Victoria Nile, within the confines of Murchison Falls National Park. [3]

Overview

Ayago Power Station is a proposed 840-megawatt (1,130,000 hp) hydroelectric plant that will be constructed on the Victoria Nile, downstream of Karuma Power Station, but upstream of Murchison Falls. The project will be developed in two simultaneous phases, known as Ayago North (estimated capacity:450 MW) and Ayago South (estimated capacity:390 MW). [4] The Ayago Power Station is one of three hydropower projects that have been earmarked for immediate development, together with Karuma Power Station (600 MW) and Isimba Power Station (183 MW), to mitigate the chronic, recalcitrant power shortages that have plagued Uganda since the 1990s, and to meet the projected national requirement of 1,130 MW by 2023. [5]

Construction costs

The Indian state-owned energy and manufacturing company, BHEL, had estimated the cost of the project at about US$350 million in 2007. But that was for a project with planned capacity of 200 MW to 300 MW, back in 2007. [6]

In 2008, the Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in collaboration with the Government of Uganda, began preparations for fresh environmental impact assessments, international bidding for a contractor and commitment as a lead funding source for the project. [7]

In April 2013, the Government of Uganda awarded the US$1.9 billion construction contract to Mapa Construction and Trading Company Incorporated, a Turkish infrastructure construction company. [8] However, in August 2013, that award was rescinded and the construction contract was awarded to China Gezhouba Construction Company. [9] It was anticipated that construction would begin in 2020, [10] and last approximately 66 months. [11]

Recent developments

By 2019, the size of Ayago Power Station had been increased from 600 to 840 megawatts. The government of Uganda has publicly indicated that it would like the power station built, but it lacks the financial muscle to do so itself. Both Mapa Construction and Trade Company of Turkey and the Gezhouba Group of China have lost interest in the project, partly due to failure to raise the necessary capital. [12]

In February 2020, Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), a Chinese government-owned engineering and construction conglomerate made formal application to the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), to design, fund, build, operate and maintain Ayago Power Station. ERA's response to that application has not been made public as of September 2020. [13] [14]

The cost of constructing Ayago has also increased to over US$2 billion, on account of the increase in wattage capacity, from the original 600 MW to the current 840 MW. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station</span> Dam in Jinja

Nalubaale Power Station, formerly known as Owen Falls Dam, is a hydroelectric power station across the White Nile near its source at Lake Victoria in Uganda. Nalubaale is the Luganda name for Lake Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Uganda</span>

Burning of renewable resources provides approximately 90 percent of the energy in Uganda, though the government is attempting to become energy self-sufficient. While much of the hydroelectric potential of the country is untapped, the government decision to expedite the creation of domestic petroleum capacity coupled with the discovery of large petroleum reserves holds the promise of a significant change in Uganda's status as an energy-importing country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (Uganda)</span>

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, also Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mineral Development is one of the governmental bodies of Uganda. The ministry has the function of developing and implementing policies related to electricity, minerals, petroleum and petroleum products. The ministry is part of the national cabinet and is headed by a cabinet minister. The current Cabinet Minister of Energy is [Hon. Ruth Ssentamu Nankabirwa].

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bujagali Hydroelectric Power Station</span> Power station in Uganda

The Bujagali Power Station is a hydroelectric power station across the Victoria Nile that harnesses the energy of its namesake; the Bujagali Falls, in Uganda. Construction began in 2007 and concluded in 2012. It was officially inaugurated on 8 October 2012 by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Aga Khan IV in the presence of African politicians and investors.

Nyagak Power Station is a 3.5 megawatts (4,700 hp) mini hydroelectric power plant in Uganda.

Tororo Thermal Power Station is a 89 MW (119,000 hp) heavy fuel oil-fired thermal power plant located in the town of Tororo in Tororo District in the Eastern Region of Uganda.

The Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station is a 600 MW hydroelectric power project under construction in Uganda. When completed, it will be the largest power-generating installation in the country.

Karuma Falls is a town in Western Region of Uganda.

Isimba Hydroelectric Power Station is a 183.2 megawatts (245,700 hp) hydroelectric power station commissioned on 21 March 2019 in Uganda. Construction of this dam began in April 2015 and was completed in January 2019. Commercial operations began on 21 March 2019.

Waki Power Station is a proposed 5 megawatts (6,700 hp) mini hydroelectric power station in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community.

Kikagati Hydroelectric Power Station, also referred to as Kikagati Power Station, is a 15.57 MW (20,880 hp) hydroelectric power station, in Uganda.

Nyagak III Power Station is a 6.6 megawatts (8,900 hp) mini hydroelectric power project, under construction in Uganda.

Rwimi Hydroelectric Power Station, also Rwimi Power Station, is an operational 5.54 megawatts (7,430 hp) hydroelectric power station in the Western Region of Uganda.

Nengo Bridge Hydroelectric Power Station, often referred to as Nengo Bridge Power Station is a planned 6.7 megawatts (9,000 hp) mini-hydroelectric power station in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community.

The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) is a parastatal company whose primary purpose is to generate electric power for use in Uganda and for sale to neighboring countries. As of December 2017, UEGCL's generation capacity was 380 megawatts, with that capacity planned to increase to over 1,300 megawatts, by 2023.

Oriang Hydroelectric Power Station is a proposed 400 megawatts (540,000 hp) hydroelectric power station in Northern Region of Uganda.

Kiba Hydroelectric Power Station is a proposed 295 megawatts (396,000 hp) hydroelectric station in Uganda.

Badru Malimbo Kiggundu is a Ugandan civil engineer, academic and consultant, who serves as the chairman of the presidential select committee responsible for the supervision of the successful completion of both Isimba Hydroelectric Power Station and Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station. He was appointed to that position by Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda in August 2016. He concurrently serves as the Chairman of the board of directors of National Water and Sewerage Corporation. He was appointed to that position on 20 July 2020, replacing Christopher Ebal, whose contract expired.

The Karuma–Juba High Voltage Power Line is a planned high voltage electricity power line, connecting the high voltage substation at Karuma, in Kiryandongo District, in the Western Region of Uganda, to another high voltage substation at Juba, in Jubek State, in South Sudan.

References

  1. ↑ Epajjar Ojulu (10 March 2017). "Uganda: East Africa's hydro powerhouse". African Business. London: African Business Magazine. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 Alon Mwesigwa (31 January 2020). "Chinese Firm Applies For Construction of 840MW Ayago Dam". Uganda Radio Network . Kampala. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  3. ↑ Google (24 December 2017). "Location of the Mouth of River Ayago, Where It Pours Into the Victoria Nile" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Harriette Onyalla (21 March 2007). "Government Proposes 14 Dam Sites". Kampala: New Vision Group . Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  5. ↑ Ibrahim Kasita (1 February 2011). "Electricity Demand To Triple By 2023". New Vision . Kampala. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  6. ↑ John Kakande (31 January 2007). "Indian Firm To Build Power Dam In North". New Vision . Kampala. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  7. ↑ Ibrahim Kasita (1 January 2008). "Japan To Send Experts For Ayago Power Project". New Vision . Kampala. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  8. ↑ New Vision (22 April 2013). "Turkish Company To Build Ayago Dam". New Vision . Kampala. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Nelson Wesonga (15 August 2013). "Ayago Power Project 'Snatched' From Turks". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Michael Wakabi (17 August 2013). "Karuma power plant paves way for more stations". The EastAfrican . Nairobi. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  11. ↑ JICA (March 2011). "JICA Open Report: Project for Master Plan Study on Hydropower Development in the Republic of Uganda" (PDF). Tokyo: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  12. ↑ Dominic Ochola and Emmy Daniel Ojara (31 May 2019). "Construction of Ayago Hydro Power Still Hangs in Balance". Kampala: Uganda Radio Network . Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  13. ↑ Elias Biryabarema and David Evans (11 February 2020). "Uganda says Chinese firm applies to build $1.4 bln power plant on the Nile". Reuters.com . Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  14. ↑ Ilaria Grasso Macola (13 February 2020). "PowerChina seeks licence for Ugandan $1.4bn hydropower plant". Power-Technology.com. New York City. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.