Achwa 1 Hydroelectric Power Station Explained

Achwa 1 Hydroelectric Power Station
Location Map:Uganda
Location Map Caption:Map of Uganda showing the location of
Achwa 1 HEP Station.
Location Map Alt:3°08'53.0"N 32°30'51.0"E
Coordinates:3.1481°N 32.5142°W
Country:Uganda
Location:Achwa River, Gulu District
Status:UC
Construction Began:2019
Opening:2021[1]
Dam Crosses:Achwa River
Plant Turbines:4 x 10.25MW
Plant Capacity:41MW

The Achwa 1 Hydroelectric Power Station (A1HPS), also Achwa I Hydroelectric Power Station, is a hydroelectric power station in Uganda, with a planned installed capacity of .[2]

Location

The facility is located across the Achwa River, in Gulu District, Northern Uganda. This location is at the border between Gulu District and Pader District, approximately 38km (24miles) north of the settlement of Aswa. This location is within close proximity of the Achwa 2 Hydroelectric Power Station.[3]

This is approximately 65km (40miles), by road, northeast of Gulu, the largest city in Northern Uganda.[4]

Overview

Achwa 1 is a run-of-the-river hydroelectricity project with planned annual output of 274 GWh. This power station is one in a cascade of five power stations planned on the Achwa River totaling .[3] [5] The power generated will be sold to the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited, for integration into the national electricity grid.[6]

Construction

The power generated will be evacuated via the Lira–Gulu–Agago High Voltage Power Line, a 132kV high voltage transmission line, to a substation in Lira, a distance of approximately 140km (90miles), where it will be sold to the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (“UETCL”).[5] Other infrastructure that will be constructed include 9km (06miles) of service roads, a 38km (24miles) service road to connect the site to the Gulu-Kitgum Road and a camp for the construction workers.[3] [5]

In 2016, solicitation for bids to carry out feasibility and environmental impact assessments for this power station, were advertised. The development rights are owned by Berkeley Energy, through its wholly owned Ugandan subsidiary, Maji Power Limited.[7]

Works were ongoing as of January 2020.[8]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Uganda's energy minister on strategies for building capacity - Ruth NANKABIRWA SSENTAMU - the Energy Year . 10 August 2022 .
  2. Web site: 10 April 2018 . 4 November 2016 . Achwa Hydro Power Projects 1 and 2 . Kurt Stumpo . IFLR1000.
  3. Web site: African Development Bank (AfDB) . Kinoshita, N. . etal . Abidjan . African Development Bank: Project: Achwa II Hydro Electric Power Project: Country: Uganda: Summary of Environmental and Social Assessment (ESIA) . 10 April 2018 . 14 December 2016.
  4. Web site: Distance between Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda and Atanga I, Northern Region, Uganda . Globefeed.com (GFC) . GFC . 10 April 2018 . 10 April 2018.
  5. Web site: African Development Bank: Achwa II Hydropower Plant . 10 April 2018 . 14 December 2016 . African Development Bank (AfDB) . AfDB.
  6. Web site: 10 April 2018 . ERA . Electricity Regulatory Authority: Licensed Projects: Achwa 1 HPP & Achwa 2 HPP (83 Megawatts) . Kampala . . 24 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171013030143/http://www.era.or.ug/index.php/licences-permits/2013-10-15-15-43-41/licensed-projects?group_by=cr72x_projects___Project_Name . 13 October 2017 . dead .
  7. Web site: Uganda: Technical study for Achwa I Hydro . 23 June 2016 . 10 April 2018 . Africa-Energy.com . Africa Energy Newsletter.
  8. Web site: Body of Kenyan National Yet to be Recovered From River Achwa. Uganda Radionetwork. en. 2020-04-10.