Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station
Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station | |
---|---|
Country | Uganda |
Location | Jinja |
Coordinates | 00°26′37″N 33°11′06″E / 0.44361°N 33.18500°E |
Purpose | Power |
Status | Operational |
Opening date | 1954 |
Dam and spillways | |
Impounds | White Nile |
Nalubaale Power Station | |
Operator(s) | Eskom Uganda |
Installed capacity | 180 MW (240,000 hp)[1] |
Nalubaale Power Station, formerly known as Owen Falls Dam, is a
Location
The dam sits across the Nile River between the town of Jinja, in Jinja District approximately 85 kilometres (53 mi), by road, east of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.[2]
History
Before the construction of the dam, water levels on Lake Victoria were moderated by a natural rock dam on the north side of the lake. Rising lake waters would spill over the natural dam into the White Nile, which flows through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. When water levels dropped too low, flow into the river ceased.
In 1947,
It supplies electricity to Uganda and parts of neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania. Maintenance and availability of the station declined seriously during the government of Idi Amin.
The rating of the Nalubaale power station is 180 megawatts (MW). Originally it was designed for ten turbines rated at 15 MW each (for a total of 150 MW. The station was refurbished in the 1990s to repair the accumulated wear from a decade of civil disorder. During the repairs, the output power of the generators was increased, bringing the Nalubaale Power Complex's generating capacity to 180 MW.[4]
Operations
The
On 31 March 2023, the 20-year concession with Eskom for both dams expired and was not renewed. Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) took over the management of the power stations and absorbed 93 percent of Eskom Uganda staff, effective 1 April 2023.[6]
Maintenance
In 2021, Eskom Uganda Limited hired Babcon Uganda Limited at a cost of USh888 million (approx. US$251,000) to repair and strengthen the powerhouse staircase to Units 1, 5 and 9. The deterioration of the staircase is blamed on
In September the same year, Sinohydro Corporation Limited completed renovations to the dam's structure. The repairs that lasted nearly one year, were meant to stop water leakages due to "deterioration of grout curtain". It is expected that the repairs, last carried out in 1999, will give the dam at least another 20 years of life. The repairs cost USh11.6 billion (US$3.3 million).[8]
In September 2022, Eskom Uganda spent UGX:6.84 billion (approx. US$1.8 million) to replace three of the ten generator transformers. The transformers to units 3, 5 and 6 "were past their service life expectancy" and were replaced. The transformers from units 1 to 4, step up voltage from 11kV to 33kV, while those from units 5 to 10 step up voltage from 11kV to 132kV. The power at high voltage is then transmitted across the grid. Transmission of power at high voltage over long distances reduces power losses.[9]
Owen Falls Extension
In 1993 work started on the Owen Falls Extension project, a second powerhouse located about 1 km from the 1954 powerhouse. A new power canal was cut to bring water from Lake Victoria to the new powerhouse. Major construction was completed in 1999 with first power from the project from two units in 2000. The extension has space for five hydroelectric
Eskom Uganda operates Nalubaale Power Station as a concessionaire. They regularly clear debris
Lake Victoria water levels
Since January 2006, hydroelectric generation at Nalubaale and Kiira stations has been curtailed due to a prolonged drought and low level of water in Lake Victoria. The hydrology of Lake Victoria has unusual features.[11]
In 2006 there was a release of secret documents from 1956 in Britain that indicated the British had considered using this dam to reduce the water in the Nile in an effort to remove
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A Dutch biology student is walking over the Nalubaale dam. The mobile crane on the dam, 1961
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Pedestrians on the dam, which is discharging water, 1961
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Foaming water seen from the discharging dam, 1961
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A fisherman on the shore near the dam, 1961
See also
- Energy in Uganda
- Bujagali Power Station
- List of hydropower stations in Africa
- List of power stations in Uganda
References
- ^ http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/16030IIED.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Map Showing Kampala And Nalubaale Power Station With Distance Marker". Globeed.com. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- ^ Julian Bertlin, letter, The Times, 7 January 1995
- ^ Kasita, Ibrahim (3 February 2012). "Owen Falls Dam: Powering Uganda for Five Decades". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ Joseph Olanyo (5 August 2012). "Eskom To Invest US$20 Million On Nalubaale And Kiira Dams". The Observer (Uganda). Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ^ John Odyek (27 March 2023). "Government Takes Over Management of Nalubaale, Kiira Power Stations". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Nelson Mandela (31 July 2021). "Eskom Uganda invests UGX. 888M to renovate Nalubaale Powerhouse Staircases". PML Daily. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ Hakim Kanyere (9 September 2021). "Refurbishment of Nalubaale power dam complete". Nile Post Uganda. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ Business Focus Uganda (2 September 2022). "Eskom Uganda Invests Shs 6.84 Billion To Replace 3 Generator Transformers At Nalubaale Power Station". BusinessFocus.co.ug. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
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has generic name (help) - AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- Washington, DC). 26 September 2005. Archived from the originalon January 9, 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Britain had secret plan to cut flow of Nile River — newly opened official file". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
- ^ Governing the Nile River Basin: The Search for a New Legal Regime, Mwangi S. Kimenyi and John Mukum Mbaku, Brookings Institution Press, 2015
External links
- Hatch Acres description of the Owen Falls Extension project. Archived from the original on 2006-05-10.
- New Scientist article Indicating That Uganda Was Exceeding Agreed Curve For Water Withdrawal From Lake Victoria
- Digital Photograph copy of the document covering the Opening Ceremony on April 29, 1954