SL led project adds power to Uganda grid

In a landmark achievement for local engineering, VS Hydro, a Sri Lanka led international consortium has completed the construction of the largest grid connected small-hydro power project yet to be developed in Uganda. The 18 MW run-of-the-river plant was technically commissioned on February 10 by the Ugandan Energy Minister in the presence of several other dignitaries.

The project harnesses the hydro potential of the Mpanga River as it flows down the Great Western Rift Valley onto Lake George in Fort Portal, Western Uganda. It cost US $ 26 million and took 24 months to complete. Despite being implemented in difficult terrain inside a deep gorge, the Mpanga project not only represents the lowest cost to capacity hydropower project in Uganda but also the fastest in completion time from licensing to commissioning.

The Mpanga project is owned by Africa EMS Uganda, a member of the South Asia Energy Management Systems group (SAEMS) based in California, USA. SAEMS is a major investor in Sri Lanka’s hydro power sector with over 60 MW of capacity installed or under construction.