Uganda’s Bujagali hydropower plant begins operations

Uganda’s new 250MW Bujagali Hydropower Plant has been officially inaugurated by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The power plant, which was built across at the Victoria Nile at a cost of about $900m, comprises five units that were commissioned in phases between February 2012 and June 2012.

The plant was jointly funded by Industrial Promotion Services; Sithe Global Power, a company majority owned by Blackstone Capital Partners IV; L.P., a fund managed by Blackstone on behalf of its investors, and the Government of Uganda.

The project partners have established a new firm named Bujagali Energy to operate and manage the plant for a 30-year period, after which the plant will be transferred to the Ugandan government.

Bujagali Energy chairman Nizar Juma said: "That a project of Bujagali’s size and complexity has been completed on time and within budget whilst adhering to the highest technical as well as social and environmental standards is a huge testimony to the quality and experience of the sponsor, development and construction teams, with whom I am truly proud to be associated."

Blackstone Energy Partners senior managing director and CEO David Foley said: "Blackstone is proud to have played an important role, together with our partner the Aga Khan, in the development of Bujagali, the successful completion of which is a credit to the leadership of President Museveni and the commitment of the Government of Uganda."

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Image: The 250MW hydropower project was built at the Bujagali site in Jinja, Uganda.