Serengeti Energy has announced that its 7.8MW Nyamwamba II hydropower plant on the Nyamwamba river, in Kasese, western Uganda, has officially begun commercial operations.
The project was awarded a Commercial Operation Date (COD) letter from The Uganda Electricity transmission Company limited (UETCL) on 17 March 2022 after successfully completing testing and commissioning.
Owned 100% by Serengeti Energy, the project cost around US$22 million to build, with construction having started back in October 2019. The project is is Serengeti Energy’s second hydro project on the Nyamwamba river, and its third to become operational in the country.
The Balance of Plant (BoP)/civil EPC contractor on the project is SAEMS Hydro of Sri Lanka while Andritz is the electromechanical water to wire contractor and Zutari the owners’ engineer.
The Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF) an initiative by KfW (German state-owned development bank) and African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI), to mitigate short term liquidity risks on independent power projects in Africa, is supporting the project and documentation will be executed shortly.
EAIF, the proposed financier of the project, obtained their final credit approval in February 2022 and financial close is targeted in Quarter 2, 2022.
Nyamwamba II is part of the Ugandan government’s efforts to utilise renewable energy to strengthen and diversify the country’s electricity infrastructure. The new capacity will support the local government to reach its 100% renewable energy target for Kasese district.
