The government has asked power dam operators to emulate Bujagali Energy Limited by developing their own emergency preparedness and response plans (EPRPs).
Mr Dominic Banaga Mucunguzi, an assistant commissioner for water resources, planning, and management at the Ministry of Water and Environment, called on dam operators to benchmark Bujagali Energy Limited’s new EPRP and create similar plans to prevent disasters in the future. ‘If these dams are exposed to danger, their breakdown affects many people in the country. Let all stakeholders in the power industry take this matter seriously,’ he said, warning that weak safety management at power-generating facilities puts the nation at risk.
Averting disasters
Speaking during a sensitisation meeting on Bujagali Energy Limited’s hydropower plant EPRP in Jinja recently, Mr Mucunguzi stressed that every dam operator should have an EPRP in place to avert potential disasters. He identified key communities in disaster management at dams as local leaders, the police, and Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces officers, who play a frontline role during evacuations in emergencies. While downplaying threats from the current floods affecting parts of the country, since they flow into water sources and increase volumes before flooding begins around dam areas, Mr Mucunguzi advised dam operators to regularly inspect water gates and reservoirs, emphasising their importance when river and lake levels rise.
At the meeting, Mr Alaister McDoughall, the general manager of Bujagali Energy Limited, highlighted that digital alerts have been installed at the plant to mitigate risks. He explained that stakeholders are currently being sensitised about the safety measures included in the EPRP. ‘We were recently in Kampala sensitising the public about the EPRP, and now we are here with the people on the ground preparing them on how to respond to risks,’ he said, adding that stakeholders are being guided on what actions to take in case of an emergency at the dam.
Mr Michael Taremwa Kananura, the chief finance officer of Bujagali Energy Limited, noted that since the company launched the first-ever EPRP campaign in October, Bujagali has generated its highest energy output of 149,335 MWh since commissioning in August 2012. He added that the company posted its lowest resultant tariff in eight years at $6.79 cents, compared to the record low of $6.22 cents in September 2018. This performance, he explained, is driven by increased domestic demand and higher exports to Kenya.
Mr Fredrick Wasike, the head of safety at Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), which manages the Karuma Dam in northern Uganda, as well as Kiira and Nalubaale in Jinja, observed that investing in an EPRP is far less costly than managing disasters. ‘Managing preparedness is cheaper than disaster handling. You just imagine how much it can cost to put up a signpost warning the public about the risky areas at the Dam. Compare that to the expenditure of evacuation if there is a problem,’ Mr Wasike said. He appealed to power dam operators to continually assess their facilities to avoid catastrophes.