A total of 60 million euros shall be invested into the upgrade works that shall be carried out in Nalubaale and Kiira Hydropower which is the largest hydropower plant in Uganda by the European Union. This will partially provide for the funding gap for the old energy infrastructure in the country. The Nalubaale and Kiira Hydropower is situated at the source of the River Nile in Jinja.
The power giant of South Africa, Eskom, managed the plant under a 20-year concession that was ended in the start of this year leaving the managerial duties to the government of Uganda. According to the ambassador of the European Union to Uganda, Jan Sadek, the 60 million euros that will be invested by the EU will be utilized in the rehabilitation works of the Kiira and Nalubaale hydropower plant so as to enable the provision of adequate and reliable energy for the industrialization of Uganda.
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Nalubaale and Kiira Hydropower Plant Capacity
The Nalubaale and Kiira Hydropower produces approximately a total of 380 megawatts and is the oldest hydropower plant located in the country having being commissioned in the year 1954. However, the start of the rehabilitation works of the plant have not yet been revealed and also it has not been clearly indicated whether the funds that will be issued by the European Union will be a credit or grant. This funding is set to be advanced under the global gateways strategy of the EU, which has been designed to enable the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030.
The energy infrastructure of Uganda has recently experienced underfunding causing some parts of the energy network to age and provide inefficient services. This has eventually led to widespread power outages in the country and at times it can cause breakdowns.
