On March 22, 2023, as the Uganda National Grid Dispatch Center issued a grid connection order, the first unit of the Karuma Hydropower Station in Uganda, undertaken by PowerChina, was successfully connected to the Uganda National Grid. During the operation of the unit, the performance is excellent, and all technical indicators meet the design requirements, achieving the goal of a high-quality unit that is installed once, started successfully, and debugged successfully once.

As the largest hydropower station in Uganda, after the first unit of the Karuma Hydropower Station successfully generated electricity, it directly increased the total power generation in Uganda from 1,278 MW to 1,378 MW. The total power generation has increased to 1878 MW, an increase of nearly 50% on the original basis.

The project is located in Karuma Town, Kiyandongo Region, north-central Uganda, 270 kilometers away from Kampala, the capital of Uganda, with a total investment of US$1.688 billion. The project consists of the Karuma Hydropower Station and supporting transmission lines, with a single unit capacity of 100 MW and a total installed capacity of 600 MW. The huge underground tunnel project makes Karuma the 14th largest underground hydropower station in the world. The power transmission and transformation line project of the project consists of four stations and three lines, with a total length of 379 kilometers. The 400 kV power transmission and transformation line has set a new record for power transmission in Uganda.

The Karuma Hydropower Station is a model project of China-Uzbekistan Belt and Road Cooperation. After it is fully put into operation, it will become the largest power granary in the region. By then, it will save about 1.31 million tons of raw coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.48 million tons, which is equivalent to planting 1.5 million trees. At the same time, the hydropower station will reduce Uganda's electricity price by 17.5%, provide stable power support for Uganda and neighboring countries, and provide a steady stream of green energy for economic and social development.Editor / He Yurong