Water weed has emerged as a major threat to power generation at the 600MW Karuma Hydropower Dam, with frequent turbine failures raising concerns over revenue losses and Uganda’s ability to meet the growing demand for electricity.
The revelation was made during an oversight visit to the project by Members of Parliament on the Energy Committee, led by the committee chairperson, Dan Kimosho.
Engineers told the MPs that the weed is choking the turbines’ cooling water system, forcing repeated shutdowns and affecting power production.
Eng Badiru Kiggundu said Uganda’s rapid economic development was putting pressure on the country’s electricity supply, with demand now exceeding available generation.
“We have 1,093MW on the grid, but demand is now more than 2,000MW. Demand is higher than supply because of schools, industries and industrial parks, which all need a substation,” Eng Kiggundu said.
He said the government was working with the Ministry of Agriculture to find a lasting solution to the invasion of water weed.
The acting head of projects at Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), Geoffrey Masaba, said the problem had persisted since the commissioning of the plant.
“Water weed has become a challenge to production. Whenever there is water weed, there is turbine failure. Water weed gets into the cooling water system in the turbine, which has caused rampant shutdowns,” Masaba told the MPs.
He added that repairs are undertaken whenever the failures require intervention.
The Shadow Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Moses Lukanga, who is also the MP for Njeru Municipality, criticised the government over the continued challenges at the plant.
“We are paying money for power which is not used. Contracts are classified for 25 years and Ugandan’s need to know the type of contractor we have in Karuma where major parts are not fixed. Let Ugandan’s see it,” Lukanga said.
He demanded that details of the contractor’s work be made public and called for the release of the 25-year classified contracts.
Kimosho directed all agencies involved in electricity generation and supply at Karuma to provide written answers on three key issues.
The agencies are required to explain whether water weed management was incorporated into the original Karuma Dam design, how much revenue the government has lost over the past three years as a result of turbine failures linked to water weed, and plans to construct substations for industrial parks currently facing inadequate electricity supply.
The committee noted that electricity demand was relatively low when Karuma was commissioned, but has since increased significantly due to industrialisation and the expansion of other economic activities.
During the visit, Jovia Katusime Mbabazi appealed to the State Minister for Energy, Opolot Okaasai, to ensure communities surrounding the project directly benefit from the electricity generated.
She said the connection of Kiryandongo Sugar Factory to the grid provides an opportunity for the ministry to extend electricity to nearby trading centres, including Kimogoro, Kawiti and Kisenyi in Mutunda Sub-county.
In response, Okaasai assured the MPs that the Ministry of Energy would provide transformers to communities surrounding Kiryandongo Sugar Factory to enable more villages to access electricity.
Linos Ngompek also urged UEDCL and the Karuma Hydropower project management to prioritise the electrification of host communities in Karuma and Bweyale.
He further called on the Ministry of Energy to ensure full and timely compensation for all the 119 people affected by the hydropower project and its transmission line.
