Uganda’s power distribution company, Umeme, is investing USD 15.2 million into two major projects in the Mbale district to improve power supply quality and reliability in the region.
The two projects are the Siti 2 Project and the Tangshan Mbale Industrial Park Project. On completion, both projects are expected to increase the Mbale district’s electricity supply by 205 percent from the current 20 MW to 61 MW.
The Siti 2 Project has four major components, namely a 125 km 33 kV single circuit double poles line evacuating power from the 16.5 MW Siti 2 Hydro Power Project (HPP) on River Siti in Bukwo district.
Works on the power line are 97 percent complete, and the plant is ready to start generating power.
Phase-II involves construction of a switching station and plant house at Umeme’s Mbale existing substation, and this component is 74 percent complete.
Phase-III includes capacitor banks to stabilise power to the Mbale industrial area and is 70 percent complete. The final component, which is 96 percent complete, involves wayleaves acquisition.
The Tangshan Mbale Industrial Park Project includes 75 km power line, evacuating up to 25 MW from the Tororo UETCL substation to Mbale’s Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park. It also consists of 10 km power distribution line within the industrial park.
To stabilise the power to meet industrial demands, Umeme is also constructing a switching station and plant house within the industrial park. The power distributor will also spend an additional USD 1,000,000 on compensating project affected persons.
This project started on 7 May 2020 and is scheduled for completion by the end of December 2020.
Spanning on 619 acre, the Sino-Uganda, Mbale Industrial Park, looks to attract between 60-80 factories, which at peak will consume up to 220 MW of power.
Currently, eight factories have been built in the park, although four are active and use up to three MW power.
Over and above the 61 MW projected by the end of December 2020, additional capacity to the industrial park will come from a UETCL transmission substation planned for 2021.