The Ugandan Prime Minister went straight to the point to inform foreign investors of his country’s intentions in promoting green energy. “To improve the electrification rate, Uganda has embarked on a campaign to expand electricity to all remote areas of the country. By 2020, installed generation capacity will be close to 2012 MW, mainly from renewable energy sources,” Rugunda said during a meeting held on the sidelines of the United Arab Emirates’ Sustainability Week, held from January 12 to 19, 2019. The Ugandan minister also took the opportunity to present renewable energy development as a priority for his government. “We need to put in place relevant policies, laws and regulations that allow us to refocus on the development of renewable energy,” he said. Uganda wants to use these means to entice and attract international partners to develop the sector.
On the field, the gallery of solar and hydroelectric power plants seems well furnished. The commissioning of the 20 MW Kabulasoke solar power plant is announced for the coming days as the Isimba hydroelectric power plant, which is scheduled to be inaugurated on the 24th of January 2019. With a capacity of 183 MW, this plant has a strategic geographical position in Uganda. The country is located near the equator and has the advantage of being very sunny. Its proximity to the Rift Valley offers it significant geothermal potential. In Uganda, as in all of East Africa, the heat flow sometimes reaches 1 MW per km2. A situation that makes the territory favourable for investment in the renewable energy sector.
The Sustainability Week was held from January 12 to 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The week dedicated to sustainable development allowed participants from several countries to explore ways in which companies, governments and researchers can develop economically and build environmentally friendly societies. It is the largest gathering on sustainable development in the Middle East. The objective is to improve understanding of the social, economic and environmental trends that shape sustainable development around the world. It also provides a framework for empowering the international community to implement effective policies to “mitigate climate change and address its energy challenges”.
Luchelle Feukeng