A power sales agreement (PSA) has been signed for the establishment of a 400kV Olwiyo(Uganda)-Juba(South Sudan) power transmission line.
The PSA was signed in Juba by Irene Bateebe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ugandan Energy Ministry. Beck Awan Deng, the General Manager of the South Sudan Electricity Corporation (SSEC) also participated in the ceremony.
“Today’s signing ceremony marks the beginning of serious cooperation in power trade between Uganda and South Sudan,” energy minister Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, who led the Ugandan delegation said.
Scope of the project
A joint technical committee has been established to plan and coordinate the project’s development following December 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU targets developing transmission and distribution infrastructure to connect the two countries through Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Plan (Nelsap).
The project entails the construction of a 308 km electricity transmission line. 138 km of the entire line is in South Sudan while the rest, 170 km, is in Uganda. There will also be an expansion of the substations at Juba, Olwiyo, and Bibia (near the Elegu border post in Uganda). Noteworthy, the Olwiyo substation in northern Uganda, operating at 132kV, will be the source of electricity for the 400kV line.
Upon completion, the 400kV Olwiyo(Uganda)-Juba(South Sudan) power transmission line will not only connect Olwiyo and Juba but also the bordering towns of Oraba, Elegu, Kaya, and Nimule.
The 400kV Olwiyo(Uganda)-Juba(South Sudan) power transmission line project team
A feasibility study is being carried out by a consortium made up of the Italian companies CESI S.p.A. Additionally, ELC Electro Consult S.p.A., Colenco Consulting Ltd., and Colenco Consulting Ltd. of Nigeria will also be involved.
African Development Bank (AfDB) has agreed to provide funding for feasibility studies for Uganda and South Sudan. Moreover, AfDB will also provide project funding.
