Eskom Uganda handed over the operations, and maintenance of the 380MW Nalubaale and Kiira Power Stations to the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL). Eskom Uganda has successfully operated and maintained the power stations under a 20-year concession that came to an end on March 31, 2023.
According to a detailed plant assessment by Hatch Limited, a Canadian Engineering firm it was established that the remaining life of Nalubaale had been greatly improved to ~ 60 years for the dam compared to 34 years in the baseline report. The powerhouse civil structure was assessed to have ~ 30 years of remaining life, compared to four years in the baseline report. Nalubaale major equipment was given a remaining useful life of ~10-40 years where zero years had been assessed in the baseline report.
The handover ceremony took place at Nalubaale Power Station and was presided over by The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu and attended by government officials from the Ministries of Energy and Mineral Development, Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, UEGCL, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd, Electricity Regulatory Authority, Department of Water Resources Management, and representatives from Eskom Uganda Ltd, Eskom Enterprises SOC Ltd, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd and the South African High Commissioner to Uganda.
The chief guest, Hon. Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu thanked Eskom Uganda Ltd for the great contribution to Uganda’s energy sector over the years.
“I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Eskom Uganda for successfully operating and maintaining these power stations for the past 20 years. Your contribution to the development of Uganda’s energy sector is commendable. We recognize that the energy sector is a critical enabler of Uganda’s socio-economic development, and we are committed to providing a good environment for private-sector investment and growth.”