STORY: Chinese-built power plant in Uganda launches fourth turbine set, moving closer to completion
DATELINE: Aug. 23, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:45
LOCATION: KIRYANDONGO, Uganda
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Karuma Hydropower Plant and the power line
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DING TUQIANG, Project manager of Sinohydro Corporation Ltd., the construction contractor
3. various of engineers inspecting the rolling turbine
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ALBERT BYARUHANGA, Project Manager, Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL)

STORYLINE:

Chinese-built Karuma Hydropower Plant, in north-central Uganda's Kiryandongo District, has successfully launched the fourth of its six turbine sets and synchronized it to the national grid, taking the project one step closer to completion.

Ding Tuqiang, project manager of Sinohydro Corporation Ltd., the construction contractor, told Xinhua that Monday's launch of the fourth turbine was a success, and the remaining two sets will be launched before the end of the year.

He said the power plant, constructed both on the surface and underground, below River Nile, can now generate 400 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with each turbine generating 100 MW.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DING TUQIANG, project manager of Sinohydro Corporation Ltd., the construction contractor
"Sinohydro was awarded this project in 2013 December. Then we started construction. We have employed a lot of people, almost 19,000 people and trained at Karuma like electricians, masons, and transmission line workers, all trained here."
   
Albert Byaruhanga, project manager of the plant on behalf of the owner, Uganda Electricity Generation Company Ltd., said the power plant is critical in addressing Uganda's inadequate power supply.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ALBERT BYARUHANGA, Project Manager, Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL)
"Karuma is a very special project. That is why it's coined as the national flagship project, born out of the good bilateral cooperation between the government of Uganda and the People's Republic of China. It is going to add 600 megawatts to the Ugandan grid in terms of electricity supply. You recall some years back, about ten or so years back, we were suffering from a lot of load shedding, persistent power cuts, and now that is more or less a thing of the past."

The Karuma Hydropower Plant is one of Uganda's flagship projects financed by the Export-Import Bank of China, which finances 85 percent of the project. The rest is funded by the Ugandan government.
  
The plant, according to experts, is critical in meeting Uganda's increasing electricity demand in efforts to fast track the industrialization.
   
Karuma is the second power plant financed by China after the 183-MW Isimba Hydropower Plant. The commissioning of the Isimba plant contributed to raising Uganda's total power generation to 1,176.6 MW, up from 953.8 MW, according to government data. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kiryandongo, Uganda.
(XHTV)