At 13:00 local time on March 9, the first unit of the Karuma Hydropower Station in Uganda, which was commissioned by the 8th Bureau of Hydropower, started operation successfully.

In the morning of the same day, witnessed by the project owner and supervisor, the first unit completed an emergency drill with water commissioning and was approved by the owner supervisor. Subsequently, the department personnel quickly in place, again confirm the preparatory work before the boot. At 13:00 p.m., the guide vane of Unit 1 is opened slowly, the turbine slowly rotates and gradually rises to the rated speed. The vibration, temperature, frequency and other parameters of each part are normal, and the operation is stable.

Karuma Hydropower Station is the third of seven planned cascade power stations on the Nile River in Victoria, Uganda, with six installed stations and a total installed capacity of 600 MW. As the flagship project jointly promoted by the heads of state of China and Uganda, it bears the century-old dream of making Uganda rich and powerful. It has attracted high attention and is the key project of Uganda's development plan in 2040. After the power station is put into operation, it will significantly improve the current situation of power shortage in Uganda and provide strong power support for the country's economic and social development.