- Kikagati hydropower plant commences operation.
- Voith Hydro installed the plant to supply the electricity networks of Uganda and Tanzania.
A new cross-border dam is being commissioned in East Africa between the borders of Tanzania and Uganda. Voith Hydro, a German-based company, constructed the hydroelectric facility.
Voith Hydro successfully executed a contract won from Kikagati Power Company (KPC), the project’s special purpose company. The Kikagati hydroelectric plant has a capacity of 15.57MW. Its dam is located on the Kagera River, the largest tributary of Lake Victoria, which serves as the natural border between Tanzania and Uganda. The dam is 8.5m high and 300m long, forming a reservoir on 4km2 of Tanzanian territory. The electricity produced by the hydroelectric plant is evacuated via a 33kV line.
The project received support from several multi-laterals, including the Africa Renewable Energy Fund (AREF), a $205 million fund managed by Berkeley Energy. All the loans will be repaid over 16 years, starting from the commissioning date of the Kikagati hydropower plant.