East Africa to have joint power network
May 18, 2009
EAST African countries will have a joint power network as a policy to strengthen regional integration. State minister for energy Simon D’Ujanga yesterday told the committee on the national economy that the interconnection lines will be constructed and u
Mary Karugaba
and Madinah Tebajjukira
EAST African countries will have a joint power network as a policy to strengthen regional integration. State minister for energy Simon D’Ujanga yesterday told the committee on the national economy that the interconnection lines will be constructed and upgraded, linking the five countries of the East African community.
The project is aimed at increasing cross-border trade in energy and power to stabilise supply in the region. “By increasing the availability of affordable and sustainable energy supply, the project will improve the living conditions of the people,†he said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo will be part of the project because of its potential to generate power from its many rivers and lakes.
The project will be financed by the African Development Bank at about $.11.3m (sh23b) for Uganda alone.
D’Ujanga said Kenya exports up to 20MW of electricity to Uganda, while the DR Congo exports about 4MW to Burundi and Rwanda.
However, the minister noted, the trade is based on weak agreements.
He said the region will have surplus electricity once the 250MW Bujagali dam begins production in 2012 and the 700MW Karuma in 2014 as well as other initiatives in Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo and Tanzania.
Under the deal, 769km of transmission lines will be constructed and 17 transformer stations reinforced. The line linking Uganda and Rwanda will run from Mbarara through Mirama to Birembo in Rwanda. The Kenyan link, on the other hand, will run from Lessos station in Kenya to Bujagali via Tororo district.
Once the project is implemented, the cost of electricity will fall in 2010, D’Ujanga said. Already, Bujagali will produce 50MW next year and another 50MW after six months. Karuma will generate 700MW.
The additional power from the two dams will offset the shortage which is currently being filled by thermal generation.
“We use diesel to generate electricity and the cost is very high,†D’Ujanga said.
“The Government is subsidising the companies heavily and that should not continue.â€
D’Ujanga said electricity tariffs should not be raised again because they are already high. He thanked the public for “being patient†and hoped that next year, everything would be okay.
D’Ujanga said the Government was subsidising the power tariffs at sh90b monthly to save Ugandans from paying sh650 per unit, which now goes for sh426.
However, the MPs criticised the ministers for transmitting power to other countries yet Uganda has a shortage.
Committee chairman Stephen Mukitale asked the minister to explain how the poor would benefit from the project.
“How can you feed others when we have failed to take care of own power problems?†Mukitale said.
The committee, however, supported the project, but wondered whether the ministry had the capacity to absorb more loans.
and Madinah Tebajjukira
EAST African countries will have a joint power network as a policy to strengthen regional integration. State minister for energy Simon D’Ujanga yesterday told the committee on the national economy that the interconnection lines will be constructed and upgraded, linking the five countries of the East African community.
The project is aimed at increasing cross-border trade in energy and power to stabilise supply in the region. “By increasing the availability of affordable and sustainable energy supply, the project will improve the living conditions of the people,†he said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo will be part of the project because of its potential to generate power from its many rivers and lakes.
The project will be financed by the African Development Bank at about $.11.3m (sh23b) for Uganda alone.
D’Ujanga said Kenya exports up to 20MW of electricity to Uganda, while the DR Congo exports about 4MW to Burundi and Rwanda.
However, the minister noted, the trade is based on weak agreements.
He said the region will have surplus electricity once the 250MW Bujagali dam begins production in 2012 and the 700MW Karuma in 2014 as well as other initiatives in Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo and Tanzania.
Under the deal, 769km of transmission lines will be constructed and 17 transformer stations reinforced. The line linking Uganda and Rwanda will run from Mbarara through Mirama to Birembo in Rwanda. The Kenyan link, on the other hand, will run from Lessos station in Kenya to Bujagali via Tororo district.
Once the project is implemented, the cost of electricity will fall in 2010, D’Ujanga said. Already, Bujagali will produce 50MW next year and another 50MW after six months. Karuma will generate 700MW.
The additional power from the two dams will offset the shortage which is currently being filled by thermal generation.
“We use diesel to generate electricity and the cost is very high,†D’Ujanga said.
“The Government is subsidising the companies heavily and that should not continue.â€
D’Ujanga said electricity tariffs should not be raised again because they are already high. He thanked the public for “being patient†and hoped that next year, everything would be okay.
D’Ujanga said the Government was subsidising the power tariffs at sh90b monthly to save Ugandans from paying sh650 per unit, which now goes for sh426.
However, the MPs criticised the ministers for transmitting power to other countries yet Uganda has a shortage.
Committee chairman Stephen Mukitale asked the minister to explain how the poor would benefit from the project.
“How can you feed others when we have failed to take care of own power problems?†Mukitale said.
The committee, however, supported the project, but wondered whether the ministry had the capacity to absorb more loans.