The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) face a race against time to complete building work on 183megawatts hydro power dam at Isimba, Kayunga District.
But officials are confident the new Isimba dam supervising engineers will oversee completion of the project as planned with the remaining 25 per cent being finished in the next seven months.
The state utility on Thursday announced the hiring of a new Owner’s Engineer (consultant) for the project, a joint venture of Artelia EAU & Environment from France and local company KKATT Consult Limited taking over from Energy Infratech PVT Ltd, an Indian firm whose contract was not renewed over alleged shoddy work at both Isimba and Karuma Hydro Power Dams.
UEGCL’s chief executive officer Harrison Mutikanga said they are sticking to the schedule of August.
“The Owner’s Engineer (OE) ARTELIA-KKATT consortium has to work with in the remaining 8 months given that the main Isimba dam contractor, China International Water & Electric Corporation (CWE) was expected to complete construction within 40 calendar months,” he told journalists at the company’s offices in Bukoto.
He added, “As per contract, the new OE’s mandate includes design review, quality assurance, project supervision and ensuring strict enforcement of contractual obligations by the Engineering Procurement & Construction Contractor (EPCC).”
Artelia Eau & Environment are supervising construction of the Rusumo Dam project along River Kagera to be used by Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda.
Isimba Hydropower Dam is being constructed with a loan from China EXIM bank at project cost of US$567 million. It is not clear whether the extra cost of US$4 million to pay Artelia EAU & Environment/KKATT Consult Limited will be paid immediately by Ugandan taxpayers.
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