Uganda has commissioned a 10 megawatt
solar power plant, as the East African nation continues efforts to boost its
electricity generation capacity and exploit its vast renewable energy
potential, officials said Monday.Constructed by renewable energy developers
Access Energy Group from Dubai and France’s Eren RE, the $19 million plant is
the largest in East Africa, providing clean electricity to 40,000 residents in
eastern Uganda, according to David Corchia, Eren’s chief executive.
It’s Uganda’s first grid-connected
solar plant as the country continues efforts to raise power generation capacity
to 1,500 MW by 2020, from the current 850 MW.The power plant has the potential
to increase its net output capacity by a further 20mw of solar energy.
“We are ready to double generation
capacity as soon as the national grid is ready,” Mr. Corchia said. “Renewable
projects are mostly suited for countries like Uganda, where most people are off
the grid.The Dutch development bank, FMO and the London-based Emerging Africa
Infrastructure Fund provided the debt facility for the project, which includes
panels fixed across a 34-acre field.
“We are really proud to have
the project here in Soroti, some of us had even lost hope in expanding our
businesses” says 30-year-old Daniel Owundo, who owns a restaurant in the
outskirts of Soroti, plagued by soaring costs of using a diesel-powered
generator.
According to Owundo, for years,
government has promised but not delivered electricity to his small township of
Ongori, located some 10 kilometers from the main town. Since the connection of
solar three weeks ago, Mr.Owundu has retired his generator and is looking
forward to introducing a fast food section on his restaurant that has
previously concentrated on only local dishes.
“More people are visiting this area
now, business is picking up,” Mr.Owundu says. From phone charging to
powering small businesses, the plant is seen as crucial to the development of
rural Uganda, according to Reda El Chaar, the executive chairman for Acess
Energy Group.Small processing plants dealing in raw commodities such as coffee,
tea and cotton consume the bulk of Uganda’s generated power from hydropower
dams along the Nile River.
Government of Uganda has been
keen to develop alternative energy sources to diversify away from the hydro
power plants, currently beset by unstable water levels blamed on dry spells and
changing weather patterns.But with the sun shining every day in the country,
analysts say solar is the way to go.
“Its an un tapped potential, while
there is uncertainty about fuel prices, we are assured of daily sunshine” said
David Mutambi, the head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority ERA.Also demand
for electricity has been growing spurred by the increasing population.
Statistics from ERA indicate that peak demand for power is growing by 15% every
year. All this is crucial in an economy that is expanding fast and aims to give
half its 34 million people access to electricity by 2017.
Government has long regarded solar
energy as a viable option for renewable energy generation .According
to the Renewable energy policy, the country has a solar electricity potential
of about 200mw, 1650 mw from biomass, 800 mw from peat ,2200 mw from hydropower
stations and 400mw from geothermal energy .
Uganda recently signed a 90
million-euro ($95.55 million) loan deal with German development bank kfw and
French government finance agency AFD to build a 45 megawatt (mw) power plant.
According to the Ministry of energy, 85% of the population does not have access
to electricity and that number is rising, there is a desperate need for more
energy.
dianakarakire@gmail.com
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