Nile water pumped out at Bujagali
Nov 14, 2007
CONSTRUCTION works at the 250MW Bujagali hydro-power project have further progressed with pumping out the water in the River Nile channel to the left side of Dumbell Island to start construction of the powerhouse.
By Ibrahim Kasita
CONSTRUCTION works at the 250MW Bujagali hydro-power project have further progressed with pumping out the water in the River Nile channel to the left side of Dumbell Island to start construction of the powerhouse.
A powerhouse is where generators that will convert the fast-flowing water into electricity will be installed. There will be five powerful generators designed for the project.
The project contractor, Salini, successfully dewatered (pumped out water) in the area between the upstream and downstream cofferdams built at the River Nile.
In the initial stages, the fast-flowing water in the river channel was closed by the two cofferdams, one at the upstream and end of the island and the other one at the downstream end, one kilometre further.
A cofferdam is a structure built across the river using heavy rocks that are not easily washed away by the strong current and covered by water-impenetrable murram.
To allow the river to flow on, the water was diverted to the right side of Dumbell Island.
John Lockwood, the Bujagali Energy resident construction manager, said a concrete structure for the powerhouse would be built on the dry river bed soon.
“The next stage will involve excavation of the river bed for the powerhouse. The project is ahead of schedule. This shows how serious the contractors and the sponsors are,†Lockwood said.
“When we finish, we shall allow water to flow through special gates as we close the other side to empty it. It will also undergo the same procedures.â€
The next step, Lockwood added, would be to build a similar cofferdam at the downstream end. Once the left channel is completed, the same process will start on the right channel.
Experts said the construction was moving fast because there are incentives to the contractors to finish before 2011.
“At the same time, there are heavy penalties for the contractor if he delays,†explained the source.
The Bujagali project is expected to relieve the country from acute power shortage which has affected the economy.
Once the dam is complete, the electricity tariffs will between 6 US cents and 6.5 cents per unit as opposed to the current cost of 25 cents.
CONSTRUCTION works at the 250MW Bujagali hydro-power project have further progressed with pumping out the water in the River Nile channel to the left side of Dumbell Island to start construction of the powerhouse.
A powerhouse is where generators that will convert the fast-flowing water into electricity will be installed. There will be five powerful generators designed for the project.
The project contractor, Salini, successfully dewatered (pumped out water) in the area between the upstream and downstream cofferdams built at the River Nile.
In the initial stages, the fast-flowing water in the river channel was closed by the two cofferdams, one at the upstream and end of the island and the other one at the downstream end, one kilometre further.
A cofferdam is a structure built across the river using heavy rocks that are not easily washed away by the strong current and covered by water-impenetrable murram.
To allow the river to flow on, the water was diverted to the right side of Dumbell Island.
John Lockwood, the Bujagali Energy resident construction manager, said a concrete structure for the powerhouse would be built on the dry river bed soon.
“The next stage will involve excavation of the river bed for the powerhouse. The project is ahead of schedule. This shows how serious the contractors and the sponsors are,†Lockwood said.
“When we finish, we shall allow water to flow through special gates as we close the other side to empty it. It will also undergo the same procedures.â€
The next step, Lockwood added, would be to build a similar cofferdam at the downstream end. Once the left channel is completed, the same process will start on the right channel.
Experts said the construction was moving fast because there are incentives to the contractors to finish before 2011.
“At the same time, there are heavy penalties for the contractor if he delays,†explained the source.
The Bujagali project is expected to relieve the country from acute power shortage which has affected the economy.
Once the dam is complete, the electricity tariffs will between 6 US cents and 6.5 cents per unit as opposed to the current cost of 25 cents.