- The French government has pledged to support the rehabilitation of the Kiira-Nalubaale power dams. The initiative backed by the European Union is expected to attract.
- While Ambassador Sticker hailed Uganda for “great strides towards the attainment of energy access for all Ugandans,” he emphasized the need to distribute electricity to the last-mile users.
The French government has pledged to support the rehabilitation of the Kiira-Nalubaale power dams. The initiative backed by the European Union is expected to attract.
The two dams with a joint capacity of about 380 MW have aged and need rehabilitating if they are to push on for the next decades.
Xavier Sticker, the Ambassador of France to Uganda, said the French government, through the European Union, is in negotiations to rehabilitate the two dams so that they can serve Uganda for the next 70 years.
The projects, funded by a 75-million Euro loan, are expected to kick off by mid-2025. The French are funding them in support of the European Union.
France’s experts, along with officials from the French Embassy and the Ministry of Energy, visited the two power stations last week.
Ambassador Sticker says that apart from support towards the Kiira and Nalubale dams, the French and German governments will fund the extension of a high-voltage line between Masaka and Mbarara. Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and KFW, a German state-owned investment and development bank, will fund the project.
The total investment for the project is estimated at sixty million euros. He said once complete, the project will ensure that the country is better connected to the grid. “And ultimately, it will reach one of its goals. Which is to also be connected to the wider region,” he said.
Ambassador Xavier Sticker was among the European Union diplomats who graced the Renewable Energy Conference held at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
The annual conference brought together various players in the energy sectors who among other areas discussed how to distribute and scale up the uptake of clean energy solutions.
While Ambassador Sticker hailed Uganda for “great strides towards the attainment of energy access for all Ugandans,” he emphasized the need to distribute electricity to the last-mile users.
It is estimated that as of December 2022, installed electricity capacity in Uganda was 1,402 megawatts (MW) with demand at 843 MW, leaving a surplus of 559 MW. The figures do not include the recent connection of the 600MW from the Karuma power dam.
It is further estimated that 22 per cent of Ugandans have access to the electricity grid, while 38 per cent have access to off-grid solutions.
He said the French Development Agency will provide 42 million euros in addition to an eight million euro grant from the European Union for rural electrification. Feasibility studies for this component of the support have already been conducted.
The grant aspect of the funding is to enable two hundred thousand Ugandans to have access to electricity. The less privileged are the targeted.