The contract with Sinohydro will see Alstom deliver six 100MW Francis turbine-generator sets and associated equipment for the project.
Alstom Hydro China will provide equipment design, manufacturing, supervision on installation, commissioning and testing as well as site services.
Located along River Nile in the districts of Kiryadongo and Oyam, 15km downstream Karuma falls, the Karuma plant will provide 40% of Uganda’s power once operational.
The contract is Alstom’s third with Sinohydro following the Bui hydropower project in Ghana and the Soubre project in Côte d’lvoire.
Alstom Renewable Energies senior vice president for hydro Jacques Hardelay said: This contract further reinforces Alstom’s leading position in Africa’s hydropower market thanks to our advanced technology and long standing expertise in hydro power and we are honored to be able to contribute to Africa’s power development plan."
The Karumaproject is being developed by Government of the Republic of Uganda through a bilateral agreement with the Peoples Republic of China.
China-based Sinohydro is serving as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project while Uganda Electricity Generation Company is the implementing agency supervising the contractors.
The Chinese Exim Bank has agreed to provide 85% of the construction costs, in the form of a concessionary loan repayable in five years. The Ugandan government will fund the remaining 15% of the costs.
Image: Alstom will supply electro-mechanical equipment and technical services for the 600MW Karuma hydropower project in Uganda. Photo: Courtesy of Alstom.
