Power supply to hit 574 MW
Oct 11, 2009
TRONDER Power, a Norwegian company, paid sh7.4m to relocate graves during the construction of the 13- megawatt Bugoye hydro-power plant in Bugoye sub-county, Kasese district.
By John Thawite and Bernard Masereka
TRONDER Power, a Norwegian company, paid sh7.4m to relocate graves during the construction of the 13- megawatt Bugoye hydro-power plant in Bugoye sub-county, Kasese district.
President Yoweri Museveni last week commissioned the $35m power plant, built with the support of the Norwegian government.
“Several households have been encouraged to relocate the remains of their relatives who had been buried within the project corridors,†said, Gunnar Salssegen, the manager.
The company also spent sh37m on HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, sh58m on a malaria campaign and sh400,000 on training a first aid team in the community.
The firm also contributed water pipes worth sh200m for the construction of the Ibanda water supply scheme and another sh350m for a new out- patients department and a maternity ward at Bugoye Health Centre III.
The company employed 400 people and contracted 12 local suppliers to provide various services and goods to the project.
Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, the defence minister, who commissioned the new facilities at the health centre, commended the people of Norway and Tronder Power for their generosity.
He thanked the Norwegian company for sharing the anticipated profit by supporting community projects.
The minister noted that in the past, private companies seldom engaged in community support, citing the example of Kilembe Mines that mined copper in the 1950s and left nothing behind for the people.
“I thank the people of Norway for their generosity. They are a population of about 4.5 million people and they stand up to support 30 million Ugandans.
“We have to applaud them for that,†Kiyonga said.
With the new 13- megawatt plant, the country’s electricity generation will increase to 574 megawatt, the President said in his speech at the opening.
The function was attended by Norway’s minister for development and environment, Erick Solheim, and energy minister Hillary Onek.
Onek said the short- term plan of having reliable power supply had been implemented and the country experienced less load-hedding.
The Buyoge plant was part of the medium term plan, he said.
Still in the pipeline are the Mpanga, Ishaha and Buseruka plants, all to be commissioned next year.
However, the Buyoge hydro-power plant is one of the projects mentioned in the Gen. Salim Saleh probe report, released last week.
The report recommends that a forensic investigation be carried out in the way the company was granted the licence.
The licensing process of generation companies, with particular reference to that of Buyoge Tronder Energi project is listed in the report as “one of the issues that require forensic investigation.â€
TRONDER Power, a Norwegian company, paid sh7.4m to relocate graves during the construction of the 13- megawatt Bugoye hydro-power plant in Bugoye sub-county, Kasese district.
President Yoweri Museveni last week commissioned the $35m power plant, built with the support of the Norwegian government.
“Several households have been encouraged to relocate the remains of their relatives who had been buried within the project corridors,†said, Gunnar Salssegen, the manager.
The company also spent sh37m on HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, sh58m on a malaria campaign and sh400,000 on training a first aid team in the community.
The firm also contributed water pipes worth sh200m for the construction of the Ibanda water supply scheme and another sh350m for a new out- patients department and a maternity ward at Bugoye Health Centre III.
The company employed 400 people and contracted 12 local suppliers to provide various services and goods to the project.
Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, the defence minister, who commissioned the new facilities at the health centre, commended the people of Norway and Tronder Power for their generosity.
He thanked the Norwegian company for sharing the anticipated profit by supporting community projects.
The minister noted that in the past, private companies seldom engaged in community support, citing the example of Kilembe Mines that mined copper in the 1950s and left nothing behind for the people.
“I thank the people of Norway for their generosity. They are a population of about 4.5 million people and they stand up to support 30 million Ugandans.
“We have to applaud them for that,†Kiyonga said.
With the new 13- megawatt plant, the country’s electricity generation will increase to 574 megawatt, the President said in his speech at the opening.
The function was attended by Norway’s minister for development and environment, Erick Solheim, and energy minister Hillary Onek.
Onek said the short- term plan of having reliable power supply had been implemented and the country experienced less load-hedding.
The Buyoge plant was part of the medium term plan, he said.
Still in the pipeline are the Mpanga, Ishaha and Buseruka plants, all to be commissioned next year.
However, the Buyoge hydro-power plant is one of the projects mentioned in the Gen. Salim Saleh probe report, released last week.
The report recommends that a forensic investigation be carried out in the way the company was granted the licence.
The licensing process of generation companies, with particular reference to that of Buyoge Tronder Energi project is listed in the report as “one of the issues that require forensic investigation.â€