Load shedding likely to increase
Sep 12, 2011
COMPLEXITIES surrounding the renewal of a water release permit by the water ministry are set to plunge the country into longer load shedding hours.
By Samuel Sanya
and John Masaba
COMPLEXITIES surrounding the renewal of a water release permit by the water ministry are set to plunge the country into longer load shedding hours.
Valentine Katabira, the operations manager at the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), said discussions were underway with the energy ministry to secure the extension of a permit to release 1,000 cubic meters of water translating into 171megawatts of electricity at the Eskom run Nalubaale hydro power station in Jinja.
Failure to secure the permit extension will see the power generator revert to releasing only 700 cubic metres of water translating into 138megawatts.
“In August, the allowed water releases for Eskom translated into a flat hourly average of 171 megawatts. Effective September 11, the allowed water releases may revert back to an hourly average of 138 megawatts upon expiry of the current release permit variation,†Katabira said in an August 23 letter.
He pointed out that if the permit is not renewed, electricity shortfalls of 40 megawatts will be realised during the day and more than 100mw at night.
The daily energy dispatch schedule shows that the 10 electricity plants in the country are supplying a total 297megawatts with demand projected to rise to 450 megawatts. The recently-commissioned power plants in Ishasha and Mpanga registered zero production on Wednesday.
“The Ishasha and Mpanga mini hydropower dams are projected to produce 6megawatts and 10megawatts of electricity respectively, depending on river flow levels,†Kitabira said.
Willy Kiryahika, the UETCL deputy managing director, in an interview said the energy ministry had come up with interventions to cushion the country from the increased load shedding.
“It is not going to be as bad as was reported in the press,†he said. Efforts to reach the commissioner and the permanent secretary in the energy ministry for a comment were futile as they were reportedly in meeting.
and John Masaba
COMPLEXITIES surrounding the renewal of a water release permit by the water ministry are set to plunge the country into longer load shedding hours.
Valentine Katabira, the operations manager at the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), said discussions were underway with the energy ministry to secure the extension of a permit to release 1,000 cubic meters of water translating into 171megawatts of electricity at the Eskom run Nalubaale hydro power station in Jinja.
Failure to secure the permit extension will see the power generator revert to releasing only 700 cubic metres of water translating into 138megawatts.
“In August, the allowed water releases for Eskom translated into a flat hourly average of 171 megawatts. Effective September 11, the allowed water releases may revert back to an hourly average of 138 megawatts upon expiry of the current release permit variation,†Katabira said in an August 23 letter.
He pointed out that if the permit is not renewed, electricity shortfalls of 40 megawatts will be realised during the day and more than 100mw at night.
The daily energy dispatch schedule shows that the 10 electricity plants in the country are supplying a total 297megawatts with demand projected to rise to 450 megawatts. The recently-commissioned power plants in Ishasha and Mpanga registered zero production on Wednesday.
“The Ishasha and Mpanga mini hydropower dams are projected to produce 6megawatts and 10megawatts of electricity respectively, depending on river flow levels,†Kitabira said.
Willy Kiryahika, the UETCL deputy managing director, in an interview said the energy ministry had come up with interventions to cushion the country from the increased load shedding.
“It is not going to be as bad as was reported in the press,†he said. Efforts to reach the commissioner and the permanent secretary in the energy ministry for a comment were futile as they were reportedly in meeting.