The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Meanwhile, the Project Steering Committee which oversees the project on behalf of the government, the managers of UEGCL who will take over running of the dam after it is commissioned, and the government’s hired consultant on the project, all insist that the Chinese must repair the defects before the dam is declared completed.
The Deputy Chairperson of the Project Steering Committee, John Berry, in a report says the Chinese have previously forced the government to accept shoddy work after promising and failing to fix detected defects.
He specifically mentions the cracks that were in 2016 detected on the concrete spillway of the dam. He says years later, the spillway has not been repaired and is currently impossible to repair owing to the river diversion.
“This situation should not be allowed to be repeated,” he says and adds that the government needs to take drastic measure; including asking for the replacement of the senior Chinese managers on the Karuma project.
The cracks at Karuma hydro power dam were discovered after about 30% of the civil works had been done in 2016 but they remain unresolved to date.
Joint Technical Committee intervenes
In May 2020, a Joint Technical Committee again wrote to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Robert Kasande, insisting that the defects are fixed before the Chinese is handed over the dam to the Ugandan team from UEGCL.
“The JTC (also) considered that it is prudent practice by EPC (Engineering , Procurement, and Construction) contractors to rectify non-conformances and/or defects identified during the construction phase before project commissioning,” the JTC wrote. The Joint Technical Committee comprises members from the Energy ministry, UETCL, UEDCL, and ERA.
The JTC said the evident refusal of the Chinese contractor to fix the defects “raises a concern on the motivation behind the contractor’s approach to the contract obligations.”
In its report, the JTC also said it had communicated to the Chinese and UEGCL staff about the importance of proper communication and civilized behaviour in a project of the magnitude of Karuma HPP.
The JTC said it is Ok for the Chinese contractors and UEGCL engineers to have technical engagements about the defects on the dam but they should desist from unnecessary verbal exchanges.
“From the review of correspondence between OE, UEGCL, and EPCC, JTC observes that OE and EPCC acknowledged remedial works required before December 2019 but because of poor relationship, the egos are high and this has affected timely rectification of non-conformances.
“The breakdown in communication and the apparent animosity between some staff of the OE and those of the EPC contractor is detrimental to the smooth and timely rectification of the reported non-conformances of the entire project,” the JTC says.
Quick facts about Karuma dam
- December 15, 2013: Construction starts
- December 2019: Official commissioning date
- July 2020: New suggested date for official commissioning
- November 2020: Latest date set for official commissioning
- November 2020: Last deadline for dam’s completion
- US$1.7bn: Cost of the project
- Project 98.5% complete as at March 31, 2020
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