By: OrePulse

Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited has formally broken ground on construction of the Karuma-Tororo 400kV Transmission Line, a project valued at about 342.6 million euros that will carry power from the 600-megawatt Karuma Hydropower Plant to eastern Uganda and Greater Kampala.

The double-circuit, 400-kilovolt line will run approximately 347 kilometers across 15 districts, according to UETCL, the project's implementing agency. The scope of works also includes construction of a new 400/220/33-kilovolt substation at the Tororo border, a new 132/33-kilovolt substation at Ntinda, and an extension of the existing Karuma Substation, in addition to the transmission line itself.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Ntinda Substation in Kampala and brought together Ugandan government officials, UETCL leadership and Sweden's ambassador to Uganda. Energy and Mineral Development Minister Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza told those gathered, "Expanding our electricity transmission infrastructure is critical to meeting the country's growing energy needs." The minister also described transmission investment of this kind as essential to supporting Uganda's industrialization drive as demand for electricity rises across the country.

UETCL Board Chairman Kwame Ejalu said, "This project reflects our commitment to investing in robust and resilient transmission infrastructure," adding that it supports both UETCL's broader mandate and Uganda's long-term development priorities more generally.

The project is financed with backing from the government of Sweden through Sweden's export credit agency, EKN, which provides credit guarantees for Swedish-linked export transactions. Swedish Ambassador to Uganda Maria Olsson said, "Sweden is pleased to partner with Uganda in advancing strategic infrastructure that strengthens the electricity transmission," citing continued cooperation between the two countries on Uganda's energy sector.

UETCL said the new line is expected to improve the reliability of bulk electricity supply to industries, businesses and communities along its route, supporting economic activity in the districts it crosses. The agency also said the line will support cross-border power trade under the Eastern Africa Power Pool, the regional electricity market linking Uganda with neighboring countries.

UETCL said work on the project has already begun, including handing over the construction site to the contractor and starting disclosure and compensation processes for people affected along the line's route across the 15 districts it will traverse.

The agency said the Karuma-Tororo line is aligned with UETCL's own Corporate Strategic Plan, as well as with Uganda's Fourth National Development Plan, the government's current medium-term economic planning document, and the country's longer-term Vision 2040 development framework.

The Karuma Hydropower Plant, with a generating capacity of 600 megawatts, is among Uganda's largest power stations. The new transmission line is intended to evacuate electricity generated at Karuma to demand centers in eastern Uganda and the greater Kampala metropolitan area, while also reinforcing the broader national grid and Uganda's links to regional power markets.