The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL)
Tel: +256 -417- 802 000 | Fax: +256 -314- 802 000
E-mail: Transco@uetcl.com | Web: www.uetcl.com
 | Location: Plot No.10, Hannington Rd., Kampala, Uganda Postal Address: P.O.Box 7625, Kampala, Uganda  UEGCL: Construction agreement for Nyagak III Hydro Power signed Government and a German firm have signed $1.7m Euro (sh7.1b) supervision contract agreement for the construction of Nyagak III Small Hydro Power Project located in West Nile region.The project is located along Nyagak River in Zombo District.The project will generate 5.5mw of electricity that will be sold at an affordable price to over 8,500 households in the region.The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) signed the agreement on behalf of government with German based GOPA-International Energy Consultants GmbH in association with Italian based Zollet Ingegneria as owner's engineer for the project. The function took place at the UEGCL offices in Nakasero.Dr. Eng. Harrison Mutikanga, chief executive officer UEGCL said they were hiring a reputable firm as 'owner's engineer' whose role will be to carry out construction supervision of the project to ensure adherence to the work plan, budget, quality standards and health, safety and environment standards. Read more ▪ UETCL: What it costs to take power to consumers Electricity end–user tariffs are a function of the generation, transmission and distribution costs divided by the units generated minus the units lost.The Bujagali hydropower plant, which generates 43.5 per cent of the electricity on Uganda’s national grid, sells each unit at the average of $0.11 (Shs398.75).Eskom Uganda Limited generates 37.8 per cent of the power, and it sells each unit at $0.1 (Shs36.25). Kakira Sugar Works generates 8 per cent of the electricity used, and sells it at Shs290.Bugoye–Tronder, which produces 1.3 per cent of the power, charges Shs290, too, per unit.All these companies sell their electricity to Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), the sole buyer of bulk electricity in Uganda.UETCL will spend Shs834.8b, up from Shs738.1b, to buy electricity from the generation companies.Read more ▪ UETCL: Electricity tariffs could rise over shortfall in generation Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) has said power tariffs could go up again, anytime, once they revert to buying thermal power because current generation from the country’s two main hydro generators— Bujagali and Eskom— is not enough. UETCL’s head of communications Kenneth Otim told Daily Monitor, they have been constrained by low water supply to the hydropower facilities despite the increase in rainfall around the country. This, he said, leaves no alternative but to switch to thermal generators, which had been limited to supplying only seven megawatts (MW) to the grid.Read more ▪ UETCL: Uganda looks to increase use of thermal electricity The use of thermal electricity in the national power grid will increase from 4 per cent now to 16 per cent. This comes against a backdrop of the slow pace of the construction and commissioning of renewable energy power plants.Mr Eriasi Kiyemba, the chief executive officer of the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), said the increase is to stave off load shedding.“You have heard about when they expect to commission the new hydro power plants. By that time we will have depleted the existing big hydros. That is why we factor in the thermals,” Mr Kiyemba told Daily Monitor during an interview in Kampala. Read more ▪  UETCL, investors in land rows Power Transmission Company, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) is involved in land wrangles with investors over development of land earmarked for power lines reserves/way leaves.The land reserve for the Nalubaale-Lugogo 132 Kilovolts (Kv) line between Banda and Kyambogo has been developed into mostly car bonds and warehouses, which officials says has become sporadic and is a health hazard.UETCL project implementations manager William Nkemba told journalists last week that encroachments have become “excessive” and investors have under-looked all cautions.“Our hands are tied here and we are losing all way leaves,” Mr Nkemba said. Read more ▪ UETCL: Power tariffs to increase Just before the dust settles on Parliament’s demand for government to cancel the contracts of Umeme and Eskom, the Uganda electricity transmission company Limited (UETCL) has announced that power tariffs will be increased this month.Kenneth Otim, the public relations officer of UETCL, says the increment will be in line with the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA)’s proposal to implement the Automatic Tariff Adjustment (ATA) in April, 2014. ATA is a system that factors in movements in the exchange rate, fluctuations in oil prices on the international market as well as local inflation levels.By increasing the tariffs, Otim said, the transmission company would get revenue to pay thermal generation firms Jacobsen and Electromax, to avoid load shedding.“The cost of load shedding is more than that of thermal generation,” says Otim.The cost of production and consumption for thermal power is more expensive than that of hydro electricity but cheaper than the cost of load shedding. When the demand for power supersedes the total generation, the distributor has no choice other than to load-shed. This was the case faced by Uganda in 2005 as a result of a long drought with little power generation. Read more ▪ Energy shortfalls are set to be reduced further in the country following interventions to set up a modern solar assembling plant in Kampala.New Vision has established that the Euro 4m (shs18b) will be initiated by Clean Energy Partnership Africa (CEPA) a local renewable energy firm in partnership with J.v.G Thoma GmbH German based leading renewable energy company.According to statistics there has been a rise on demand for solar power especially in rural areas. But the demand seems to be shifting to the urban as well due to continues outages experienced by urban dwellers of late.Martin Erone Manager Legal services Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETCL) said renewable energy is the only way to go. “The demand for power increases everyday yet that demand can’t be fully met. We need constant investment in energy and renewable sources such as solar are appropriate,” he said.David Ebong the Chief Executive said once in place the price of solar panels and installations that are considered expensive will reduce due to local manufacturing. Read more ▪  France has granted $23m concessionary loan to finance the construction of the Nkenda-Fort Portal-Hoima transmission line to evacuate electricity from the proposed thermal power plant at Mputa oil field in Hoima.The 220 kV is also being co-financed by the Norwegian grant of $54m. Uganda will meet the costs related to compensation and resettlement action plans estimated at $19m. During the signing cerement of the French loan agreement in Kampala, finance minister Maria Kiwanuka, said the support will extend electricity to the “western axis,” where the recent development the oil industry have progressed.Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETCL) will implement the construction of the transmission line project. Read more ▪   UETCL: Uganda gets €21m loan from German bank for electricityUganda has signed a loan agreement with German Development Bank, KfW, of €15m (about sh51b) for the construction of a new 132 kW transmission line from Kampala to Entebbe. General duties finance minister, Fred Jachan Omach, signed on behalf of Ugandan government while Udo Weber, the head of development cooperation at the German Embassy in Kampala signed on behalf of his government.Read more ▪   Bujagali performing beyond expectation – management Authorities at the Bujagali Energy Project (BEL) have said the power plant is performing beyond expectation. There have been fears among sections of the public that the Bujagali plant is producing below its capacity of 250MW, with some citing this as a reason for power outages. Dr. Kevin Kariuki, the head of infrastructure in the Aga Khan’s Industrial Promotion Services, said Bujagali cannot be blamed for the outages because one year after the commissioning of the project, BEL is performing ‘beyond expectations’.“For the first year, we were expected to provide an availability of 95%. Today, we are providing 98-99%. There even months like February where we reached 100%,” he said. The Bujagali hydropower plant started commercial operation on August 1, doubling Uganda’s electricity supply. They added that the ongoing maintenance works at the power plant are scheduled and are done with the full backing of the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETCL). Read more ▪ | |