Construction works on the Uganda-Juba power line project is set to face further delays. The development has encountered new funding hurdles, pushing its completion date to 2028, eight years beyond its original 2020 target under the 2015 East African Power Pool plan.
South Sudan, currently dependent on costly heavy oil fuel for electricity, faces continued challenges with reliability, outages, and high tariffs. This delay will extend these issues until the transmission line is completed.
Uganda, which reached a generation capacity of over 2,000 MW in July due to investments in hydropower at Karuma and Isimba, lacks sufficient transmission infrastructure, leading to surplus power. This transmission line, when extended to the Ethiopian border, could also enable Uganda and South Sudan to access affordable power from Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, allowing them to delay additional power plant investments.
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Uganda-Juba power line project
The project cost, originally estimated at $302 million, includes building 170 km of power lines in Uganda and 138 km in South Sudan, along with expanding substations at Juba, Olwiyo, and Bibia to 400kV. Although financing is anticipated to conclude by September 2025, with the EPC contract award expected by March 2026, challenges remain due to the various approvals needed.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU) are the primary financiers, with the South Sudan portion of the line expected to be approved next month. Sinohydro, which recently completed Uganda’s Karuma Hydroelectric Station, has expressed interest in supporting the project financially.
