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dam-l Business Wire on Uganda dam/LS
Uganda Government And Aes Conclude Agreement
> for Development of A Big Hydro Power Project
> ( December 15, 1999 )
> KAMPALA, Uganda, Dec 15, 1999 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
>
>
-- AES CORPORATION THROUGH ITS PROJECT COMPANY AES NILE POWER HAS ON 8TH
DECEMBER 1999 CONCLUDED WITH UGANDA GOVERNMENT AN IMPLEMENTATION AGREEMENT
AND A POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 250 MW
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT AT BUJAGALI ON THE NILE RIVER AND THE ASSOCIATED
TRANSMISSION LINES AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF US$500 MILLION.
-- THE AES PROJECT WHICH IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT IN THE REGION SO FAR IS
A BIG BOOST TO THE UGANDAN ECONOMY AND INDEED TO THE EAST AFRICAN REGION
WHICH IS EXPERIENCING ACUTE POWER SHORTAGES. THE AES PROJECT WILL
CLEARLY CONTRIBUTE IMMENSELY TO THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT OF UGANDA AND THE EAST AFRICAN REGION.
-- THE HYDROELECTRIC PLANT IS EXPECTED TO START COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 2004. AES NILE POWER HAS A CONCESSION OF 30
YEARS.
-- UGANDA'S MINISTER OF ENERGY AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT, THE HON. SYDA
BBUMBA, HAS STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA IS IMPLEMENTING
SIGNIFICANT REFORMS IN THE POWER SECTOR IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE LONG TERM
EFFICIENCY AND THEREFORE MINIMISE THE RISK OF GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES BEING
CALLED BY INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS.
-- THE REFORMS INCLUDE THE TRANSFER OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PUBLICLY
OWNED UGANDA ELECTRICITY BOARD'S DISTRIBUTION AND GENERATION ASSETS TO
THE PRIVATE SECTOR WITHIN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS. THIS WILL BE DONE UNDER
CONCESSION CONTRACTS. FURTHERMORE, GOVERNMENT IS WORKING WITH MULTILATERAL
AND BILATERAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO EXECUTE A RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
PROGRAMME FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS IN ORDER TO BRING RURAL COVERAGE TO A
SIGNIFICANT LEVEL.
-- IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE POWER SECTOR REFORMS, THE PARLIAMENT OF
UGANDA HAS JUST ENACTED A NEW ELECTRICITY ACT, 1999 WHICH NOW FORMS THE
BASIS FOR A WAY FORWARD.
SIGNED
>
> F. A. KABAGAMBE-KALIISA PERMANENT SECRETARY MINISTRY
> OF ENERGY & MINERAL DEVELOPMENT P. O. BOX 7270 KAMPALA
> TELEPHONE: 256 41 342 550 TELEFAX: 256 41 234 732
>
> Copyright (C) 1999 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
> Distributed via COMTEX.
>
> CONTACT: Bliss, Gouverneur & Associates
>
> Dominique Palumbo
>
> 212-840-1661
>
> dpalumbo@blisspr.com
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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