Recently, the Uganda Isimba hydropower project, constructed by a Chinese enterprise, has been fully put into operation. This power station, known as the "pearl of hydropower on the White Nile", is not only an important achievement of China Africa cooperation, but also a vivid witness to the friendly cooperation between China and Uganda.

The Isimba Hydropower Station is located on the White Nile River, about 90 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Uganda, Kampala. It is designed by Shanghai Survey, Design and Research Institute and served as the general contractor by China Three Gorges Corporation's subsidiary, China Water Resources and Electric Power Corporation. The total investment of the project is 568 million US dollars, of which 85% of the funds are provided by the Export Import Bank of China for financing support. The total installed capacity of the power station is 183 megawatts, with an average annual power generation of 1.039 billion kilowatt hours. It is equipped with four 45.8-megawatt hydroelectric generating units, as well as a 132 kV switching station and 42 kilometers of double circuit transmission lines.

The project signed the EPC general contract in September 2013 and officially started construction in April 2015. After more than four years of careful construction, the first unit was connected to the grid for power generation in December 2018, and all four units were connected to the grid for power generation in March 2019. After the power station was put into operation, the installed capacity of power generation in Uganda increased by about 20%, and the total power generation increased by about a quarter, significantly improving the industrial and residential electricity situation in the capital city of Kampala and other areas.

During the construction process, Chinese enterprises have always adhered to the concept of green environmental protection and actively fulfilled their social responsibilities. The project has employed over 3000 local workers, accounting for 85% of the total workforce, driving 70% of the building materials to achieve local procurement. At the same time, the project also built infrastructure such as a cross river transportation bridge, making important contributions to the development of the local community. In May 2019, Uganda Post issued a special series of stamps with the theme of the Isimba Hydroelectric Power Station to commemorate this milestone project. Keywords: Hydroelectric New Energy, Hydroelectric New Energy News

The successful construction and operation of the Isimba hydropower station not only effectively alleviates Uganda's long-standing power shortage problem, meets the growing energy needs of the country's economic development and people's lives, but also makes positive contributions to promoting Uganda's economic and social development and China Africa friendly cooperation. Editor/Yang Beihua