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The 600 MW Karuma Hydropower Plant has just been commissioned by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni at a ceremony he was accompanied by the county’s first lady on Thursday.
The mega Karuma Hydropower Plant is termed as a strategic infrastructure project that will empower the country’s communities, bolster the economy, and generally help Uganda achieve universal access to electricity by 2030.
Karuma Hydropower Plant Project Factsheet
Name: Karuma hydropower plant
Location: Karuma Town Council, Kiryandongo District
Capacity: 600MW
Contractors/developers: Sinohydro and Alstom
Cost: $1.688 billion
Commencement date: 2013
Completion date: 2024
The Karuma hydropower plant is located in Karuma Town Council, Kiryandongo District. It features a 284-kilometre transmission line that runs all the way to Kawanda in Kampala, another 55-kilometre line that runs to Olwiyo in Nwoya, and lastly a 75-kilometre line to Lira Cit. These connectivity routes ensure power distribution to key load centres all over the country.
Significance of the Project
“Karuma represents a major milestone in our national energy strategy. It will significantly boost our power generation capacity, enhance energy security, and support sustainable development,” said Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development.
Hydropower still stands as Uganda’s leading source of energy, having a total potential of more than 4,100 MW. Adding Karuma’s 600 MW increases Uganda’s generation capacity to 2,045.5 MW, far exceeding the current peak demand of between 900 MW and 1,000 MW.
“Peak demand has surged from 257 MW in 2004 to 988 MW in 2024, driven by economic growth and expanded electrification. Access to electricity has also grown significantly, from 5% in 2004 to 57% in 2023, a significant achievement in our rural electrification efforts,” noted Eng. Irene Pauline Bateebe.
Bateebe also highlighted Uganda’s set target of generating 52,000 MW by the year 2040 and the goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7—universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. She emphasised that projects like Karuma bring Uganda closer to realising these targets.
Joseph Oryem Lilly, the LC1 Chairperson of Karuma Central Ward, lauded the project for transforming the lives of the local population and attracting development to the area. He noted that the influx of new residents has boosted sectors like hospitality, creating jobs and improving livelihoods.
Uganda’s Energy Journey
President Museveni traced Uganda’s hydropower journey back to the inauguration of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, which laid the foundation for the country’s energy sector.
He says that subsequent projects like the 200 MW Kiira Hydropower Station (2003) and the 183.2 MW Isimba Hydropower Project (2019) have further boosted Uganda’s generation capacity.
“The Karuma Hydropower Project is the latest and most ambitious step in our still ongoing energy evolution,” Museveni commented.
In the year 2011, the Ugandan government secured $1.4 billion (UGX 5.192 trillion) in funding from the Exim Bank of China, contributing an additional $353 million (UGX 1.309 trillion) in counterpart funding. The Karuma project, executed over 12 years by China’s Sinohydro Corporation Ltd., cost a total of $1.688 billion (UGX 6.261 trillion).
As of the month of July 2024, Uganda’s total grid length was marked at 4,496.4 km, with 42 substations and a transformation capacity of 6,945.5 MVA. Karuma is now the country’s largest power installation and also stands as Africa’s largest underground power plant.
It serves as a cornerstone of Uganda’s broader development agenda under the National Development Plan III, which sees energy as a key driver in transforming Uganda from a peasant economy to a prosperous nation by 2050. |
