An Ice block and fish handling plant in Kalangala district that has been lying idle due to lack of stable power is set to start production.

The Shs 8bn plant is found at Mwena landing site in Kalangala Town council and was was built by Ministry of Ministry Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries with support from the African Development Bank in 2010.

It was meant save fishermen from Kalangala from making costly trips to Kasensero landing Site and Entebbe to buy ice to preserve their fish. But it has has been lying idle since it was commissioned in 2014 due to unstable power.

The plant is set to start producing following the commissioning of Kalangala Thermal Solar hybrid power plant. Willy Lugoloobi, the Kalangala LC V chairman says they are in the process of connecting the plant to solar to start production.

"It was just a problem of power, we had two generators but the cost of producing a ton of ice could go to around Shs 270,000 yet looking at the price on the open market it was around Shs 120,000. So we couldn't continue production with the thermal generators...The three-line phase has been extended to the plant and very soon we are going to connect.", he said.

Moses Muguluma, a fisherman at Mwena landing site has welcomed the development. According to Muguluma, currently their fish goes bad due to lack of storage facilities since many of them to have resources to outsource Ice blocks from Kalangala.

He says once the plant starts operating it will save them from losses. John Opiro, the Managing Director of Kalangala Infrastructural Services limited, which is in charge of the solar plant, says they have enough power to run the Ice block and fish handling plant.

According to Opiro, currently most of the power is used to power homes. The Kalangala Thermal Solar hybrid power plant 1.6megga watts but only 400kilowatts are consumed.he Shs 8bn plant is found at Mwena landing site in Kalangala Town council and was was built by Ministry of Ministry Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries with support from the African Development Bank in 2010.

It was meant save fishermen from Kalangala from making costly trips to Kasensero landing Site and Entebbe to buy ice to preserve their fish. But it has has been lying idle since it was commissioned in 2014 due to unstable power.