Isimba now generating 135MW after third unit is restored

Isimba hydropower dam is now operating as before the shutdown after the third unit was restored on Monday night.

On Sunday, the first two of the four Kaplan axial flow turbines, that generate electricity, had been fully restored. Each of the turbine units has a generation capacity of 45.5MW.

And on Monday evening, the Uganda Electricity General Company Limited (UEGCL) announced restoration of the third unit, which brought on board another 45.5MW, meaning a total of about 135MW.

“At 2340hrs last night, the team at Isimba HPP synchronised the third unit (Unit 1) onto the national grid. This implies that Isimba HPP has been restored to normal generation as was prior to the emergency shutdown,” UEGCL tweeted.

“It was a joyous mood in the Isimba HPP control room when the third unit was synchronised in record time,” they added.

The fourth and last unit is expected to be restored by the end of the month, to ensure that the dam operates at full capacity of 183MW.

At 2340hrs last night, the team at Isimba HPP synchronised the third unit (Unit 1) onto the national grid. This implies that Isimba HPP has been restored to normal generation as was prior to the emergency shutdown,

uegcl

The restoration of the dam also cuts short the plan approved by Cabinet last Monday to ignite the Heavy Fuel Oil—thermal power plant at Namanve to provide 50MW to the national grid as well as importing some power from Kenya. Instead, Uganda will now be importing power to Kenya since they have excess, unused power.

UEGCL, the statutory body in charge of electricity generation, used its other electrical and mechanical engineers from Karuma hydro power dam in Kiryandongo District and Nalubaale [Owens Falls] dam in Jinja to restore the dam.

Parliament last week called for an independent probe into dam shut down and the decision to switch to other means to plug the void. 

The UEGCL board chairperson, Ms Proscovia Njuki, said whereas they are conducting internal investigations on what caused the flooding in Isimba dam, they are ready to work with the team that will be sent from Parliament to conduct a parallel investigation.

“There was not any hole in the power house but preliminary investigations indicate that one of the gates that was supposed to close jammed and refused to close feeding in water from the river,” she said.