Kikagati Power Station
Encyclopedia
Location
The power station is located on the Kagera RiverKagera River
The Kagera River, also Akagera River, is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source....
, along Uganda's International border with the Republic of Tanzania. This location lies near the town of Kikagati
Kikagati
-Location:Kikagati is located in Isingiro District, Ankole sub-region, in southwestern Uganda. The town lies close to Uganda's border with Tanzania. It is located approximately , by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. This location is approximately , by road, south of...
, approximately 60 kilometres (37.3 mi), by road, south of Mbarara
Mbarara
Mbarara is a town in Western Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Mbarara District and the location of the district headquarters. It is also the largest urban centre in Western Uganda.-Location:...
, the largest city in the sub-region
Ankole sub-region
Ankole sub-region is a region in Western Uganda that consists of the following districts:* Buhweju District* Bushenyi District* Ibanda District* Isingiro District* Kiruhura District* Mitooma District* Ntungamo District* Rubirizi District...
. Kikagati lies approximately 327 kilometres (203.2 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, the capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country. The approximate coordinates of the power station are:1° 01' 48"S, 30° 40' 48.00"E (Latitude:-1.0300; Longitude:30.6800). The coordinates are approximate because the power station does not yet appear on most publicly available maps.
Overview
Kikagati Power Station is a mini-hydropower plant, with initial planned capacity installation of 10 MW, when completed. The project will involve the construction of a dam, crating a 4000 square metre (0.988420652061104 acre) reservoir lake. The new reservoir will lie partly or wholly, within TanzaniaTanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The new power station will be built at the location of another smaller power station that was destroyed in 1979 during the war that removed Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
from power in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. In September 2011, the planned capacity installation was increased to 16 MW.
Other consideratons
The Chinese company China Shan Sheng, was issued the construction license for the project in 2008. At that time, construction costs were estimated at US$25 million. The transmission line that will connect the power from the station to the Uganda national electricity grid has already been constructed. Some of the power will be sold to Tanzania, under arrangements made through the East African CommunityEast African Community
The East African Community is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the five east African countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of the Republic of Burundi, is the current Chairman of the East African Community. The EAC was originally...
. Construction is expected to start in 2012, with anticipated commissioning in 2016.
External links
See also
- List of power stations in Uganda
- List of hydropower stations in Africa
- List of hydroelectric power stations
- Isingiro District
- Western Region, UgandaWestern Region, UgandaWestern Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...