Burning of
renewable resource
A renewable resource, also known as a flow resource, is a natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of ti ...
s provides approximately 90 percent of the energy in
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
,
though the government is attempting to become energy self-sufficient. While much of the
hydroelectric potential of the country is untapped, the government decision to expedite the creation of domestic petroleum capacity coupled with the discovery of large petroleum reserves holds the promise of a significant change in Uganda's status as an energy-importing country.
Background
![Dark in the Light- Metallic shack near electricity](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Dark_in_the_Light-_Metallic_shack_near_electricity.jpg)
In the 1980s,
charcoal and fuel wood met more than 95 percent of Uganda's energy needs.
In 2005 and 2006, low water levels of
Lake Victoria, the main source of the country's electricity generation potential, led to a generation shortage and an energy crisis.
As a result, the country experienced frequent and prolonged blackouts.
As of June 2016, according to the
Uganda Bureau of Statistics
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics ("UBOS") is an agency of the Ugandan government. Formed by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act, 1998, the agency is mandated to "coordinate, monitor and supervise Uganda's National Statistical System".
Locatio ...
, about twenty percent of Ugandans had access to electricity. As of February 2015 and according to the
Uganda Electricity Regulatory Authority, Uganda's installed electricity capacity was 810 megawatts, with peak demand of 509.4 megawatts so that "the incidence of load shedding due to shortage in supply is now close to zero." , according to
Irene Muloni, the
Uganda Minister of Energy, the country's generation capacity had increased to 950 megawatts.
Uganda expects to have a generating capacity of at least 1,900 megawatts by the end of 2019, as forecast by the Uganda Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
In March 2018, the
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Gr ...
estimated that about 26 percent of Uganda's population had access to grid-electricity at that time.
In March 2019, the
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for bus ...
estimated that 55 percent of Uganda's urban population and about 10 percent of the country's rural population has access to grid electricity then.
As of April 2019, generation capacity was 1,167 megawatts, with peak demand of about 625 megawatts and approximately 25 percent national electrification rate. At that time, an estimated 1,000 new customers were requesting grid power connection on a daily basis, with over 1.3 million existing
Umeme
Umeme Limited is the largest energy distributor in Uganda, distributing about 97 percent of all electricity used in the country. The shares of the stock of the company are listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) and are cross listed o ...
connections.
As of October 2019, the Uganda Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development estimated that 28 percent of Uganda's population had access to electricity.
In September 2019, Uganda signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with Russia to build capacity to exploit nuclear technology for energy, medical and other peaceful purposes.
As of March 2022, the national electricity sources were as illustrated in the table below:
Greenhouse gas targets
Uganda aims to lower its greenhouse gas emissions by enacting measures in its energy, forestry and wetland sectors.
Uganda's greenhouse gas emissions per capita is 1.39 tons carbon dioxide, one of the lowest in the world.
The country aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 22 percent by 2030.
Hydroelectricity
![From top of Nalubaale Power Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/From_top_of_Nalubaale_Power_Station.jpg)
The country's hydropower potential is an estimated 2,200 megawatts.
Poor maintenance during the politically unstable 1980s resulted in a drop in production at the Owen Falls Dam (now
Nalubaale Power Station
Nalubaale Power Station, formerly known as Owen Falls Dam, is a hydroelectric power station across the White Nile near its source at Lake Victoria in Uganda. ''Nalubaale'' is the Luganda name for Lake Victoria.
Location
The dam sits across the N ...
), at the mouth of the White Nile, from 635.5 million kilowatt-hours in 1986 to 609.9 million kilowatt-hours in 1987, with six of ten generators broken by the end of 1988. The 200 megawatt
Kiira Hydroelectric Power Station
Kiira Hydroelectric Power Station, is a hydroelectric power station in Uganda, with an installed capacity of .
Location
The power station is located at Kimaka, a northern suburb of Jinja, in Jinja District, in the Eastern Region of Uganda, ...
, built adjacent to the Nalubaale Power Station, raised total production capacity to 380 megawatts.
Between 2007 and 2012, the 250 megawatt
Bujagali Hydroelectric Power Station was constructed as a public-private project, at a cost of approximately US$862 million. The consortium that owns the station includes the
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development SA is a Swiss for-profit entity and international development finance institution which invests in countries of East Africa, West Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
I ...
,
SN Power
SN Power is a defunct company that invests in clean, renewable energy on a commercial basis in emerging markets. SN Power was acquired by Scatec on 29th of January 2021.
History
The company was established in 2002. Along with Norfund, the Norwe ...
(a subsidiary of the
Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries), and the
government of Uganda.
Bujagali Energy Limited is a special-vehicle company created to run the power station on behalf of the shareholders.
In October 2013, construction of the 183 megawatt
Isimba Power Station
Isimba Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power station commissioned on 21 March 2019 in Uganda. Construction of this dam began in April 2015 and was completed in January 2019. Commercial operations began on 21 March 2019.
Locati ...
began, approximately downstream of Bujagali, at a budgeted cost of approximately US$590 million, as a public enterprise with funding from the
Export-Import Bank of China
The Export–Import Bank of China (Chexim - China Exim Bank) () is one of two institutional banks in China chartered to implement the state policies in industry, foreign trade, economy, and foreign aid to other developing countries, and pro ...
. Commissioning was planned during the second half of 2018. However, construction was completed in January 2019, and commercial operations began in March 2019.
Also in 2013, work on the 600 megawatt
Karuma Power Station
The Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station is a 600 MW hydroelectric power project under construction in Uganda. When completed, it will be the largest power-generating installation in the country.
Location
The power station is located on the ...
commenced at a budgeted cost of about US$2 billion, including US$250 million to build the high-voltage transmission lines to evacuate the generated power. Completion was planned for late 2018. However, a more realistic completion date is in late 2019 or early 2020.
, about six operational mini-hydropower plants are connected to the national electricity grid, supplying about 65 megawatts. These include
Nyagak I (3.5 megawatts),
Kabalega (9 megawatts),
Kanungu
Kanungu is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the location of the district headquarters for Kanungu District.
Location
Kanungu is located approximately , on a winding dirt road, southwest of the town of Rukungiri, the nearest large ...
(6.6 megawatts),
Bugoye (13 megawatts),
Mubuku I (5 megawatts),
Mubuku III (10 megawatts), and
Mpanga (18 megawatts).
Thermal power
Two
heavy fuel oil
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel, or residual fuel oil, HFO is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum. For this reason, HFO is contaminate ...
thermal power stations exist in the country.
Namanve Power Station is a 50 megawatt plant formerly owned by Jacobsen Electricity Company (Uganda) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary o
Jacobsen Elektro an independent
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
power production company. The plant cost US$92 million (€66 million) to build in 2008. The power station reverted to
Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited
The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) is a parastatal company whose primary purpose is to generate electric power for use in Uganda and for sale to neighboring countries. As of December 2017, UEGCL's generation capacity was 380 ...
in February 2022.
Tororo Power Station is an 89 megawatt heavy fuel-oil powered plant owned by Electro-Maxx Limited, a Ugandan company and a subsidiary of the Simba Group of Companies, owned by Ugandan industrialist
Patrick Bitature. This plant is licensed to sell up to 50 megawatts to the national electricity grid.
Namanve and Tororo are used as stand-by power sources to avoid load-shedding when hydropower generation fails to meet demand.
Five sugar manufacturers in Uganda have total cogeneration capacity of about 110 megawatts, of which about 50 percent is available for sale to the national grid. The cogeneration power plants and their generation capacities include
Kakira Power Station (52 megawatts),
Kinyara Power Station
Kinyara Power Station is a 40.8 MW bagasse-fired thermal power plant in Uganda, the fourth-largest economy in the East African Community.
Location
The power station is located in the town of Kinyara in Masindi District in the Western Region of U ...
(40 megawatts),
Lugazi Power Station
Lugazi Power Station is a bagasse-fired thermal power plant in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community.
Location
The power station is located on the campus of Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited, the owners of the power ...
(14 megawatts),
Kaliro Power Station (12 megawatts) and
Mayuge Thermal Power Station
Mayuge Thermal Power Station is a 1.6 megawatt bagasse-fired thermal power plant in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community.
Location
The power station is located on the campus of Mayuge Sugar Industries Limited (MSIL), t ...
(1.6 megawatts).
Oil and natural gas
Uganda is highly vulnerable to oil price shocks as it imports almost all of its of oil (2013 figure). The oil comes through the
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
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, largest_city = Nairobi
...
n port of
Mombasa
Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
.
The governments of Kenya, Uganda, and
Rwanda are jointly developing the
Kenya–Uganda–Rwanda Petroleum Products Pipeline
The Kenya–Uganda–Rwanda Petroleum Products Pipeline is a pipeline that carries refined petroleum products from the Kenyan port city of Mombasa to the country's capital of Nairobi and continues to the town of Eldoret in the Eastern Rift Valley ...
to carry refined petroleum products from Mombasa through
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
to
Eldoret, all in Kenya. From Eldoret, the pipeline will continue through
Malaba to
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...
in Uganda, continuing on to
Kigali in Rwanda. The feasibility study for the Eldoret to Kampala pipeline extension was awarded to an international firm in 1997. The study was completed in 1998 and the report submitted the following year. The separate feasibility study for the Kampala to Kigali extension was awarded to the
East African Community
The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation composed of seven countries in the Great Lakes region of East Africa: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republics of Kenya, Burun ...
in September 2011. The governments of Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda accepted the findings of the studies. The construction contract was initially awarded, in 2007, to Tamoil, a company owned by the
Government of Libya. That contract was voided in 2012 after the company failed to implement the project. , fourteen companies had submitted bids to construct the pipeline extension from Kenya to Rwanda. Construction was expected to begin in 2014, with a 32-month construction time-frame. Commissioning was expected in 2016.
![Hoima District in Uganda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Hoima_District_in_Uganda.svg)
In 2006, Uganda confirmed the existence of commercially viable petroleum reserves in the
Western Rift Valley
The Albertine Rift is the western branch of the East African Rift, covering parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.
It extends from the northern end of Lake Albert to the southern end of Lake ...
around
Lake Albert. In June 2006,
Hardman Resources of Australia discovered
oil sands
Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and wate ...
at
Waranga 1, Waranga 2, and
Mputa. President
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and retired senior military officer who has been the 9th and current President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. Museveni spearheaded rebellions with aid of then ...
announced that he expected production of to by 2009.
In July 2007, Heritage Oil, one of several companies prospecting around Lake Albert, raised its estimate for the Kingfisher well (block 3A) in
Hoima District
Hoima District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its main municipal centre, Hoima.
Location
Hoima District is bordered by Buliisa District to the north, Masindi District to the northeast, Ky ...
,
Bunyoro sub-region
Bunyoro sub-region is a region in Western Uganda that consists of the following districts:
* Buliisa District
* Hoima District
* Kibaale District
* Kiryandongo District
* Masindi District
The area covered by the above districts is coterminous ...
, stating that they thought it was bigger than of crude. Heritage's partner,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
-based
Tullow Oil
Tullow Oil plc is a multinational oil and gas exploration company founded in Tullow, Ireland, with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
His ...
, which had bought
Hardman Resources, was more guarded, but stated their confidence that the Albertine Basin as a whole contained over one billion barrels. The Kingfisher-1 well flowed of 30-32
API
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how ...
oil.
This news came on the heels of Tullow's 11 July 2007 report that the
Nzizi 2 appraisal well confirmed the presence of per day of
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
. Heritage in a report to its partners talked of Ugandan reserves of worth $7 billion as the "most exciting new play in sub-Saharan Africa in the past decade."
However, development will require a pipeline to the coast, which will need $80 oil to justify. Relations between Uganda and the neighboring
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
(DRC) have been tense since the discovery of oil, as both countries seek to clarify the border delineation on the lake in their favor, in particular the ownership of small
Rukwanzi Island
Rukwanzi Island is a disputed island in the southern portion of Lake Albert in Central Africa. It is home to approximately 1000 fishermen.
Ownership dispute
Rukwanzi is the subject of an ownership dispute between the Democratic Republic of the C ...
. Ugandan foreign minister
Sam Kutesa
Sam Kahamba Kutesa (born 1 February 1949) is a Ugandan politician, businessman and lawyer involved in several corruption cases. By the marriage of his daughter Charlotte Kutesa Muhoozi with Muhoozi he is part of the inner circle of president Mu ...
made an emergency visit to
Kinshasa in an attempt to smooth tensions.
''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'' magazine, noting that the DRC has assigned exploration blocks on its side of the border, proposed that the situation should sort itself amicably: Uganda needs a stable and secure border in order to attract foreign investment developing the oil reserves, while the cost of transporting the oil to the DRC's sole port at
Matadi
Matadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Kongo Central province, adjacent to the border with Angola. It had a population of 245,862 (2004). Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River, ...
is so prohibitive that the Congolese government is nearly obliged to seek pipeline access through Uganda.
After an initial period of disagreement between the
Government of Uganda and the petroleum exploration companies, the two sides agreed in April 2013 to simultaneously build a crude oil pipeline to the
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
n coast (
Uganda–Kenya Crude Oil Pipeline) and an oil refinery in Uganda (
Uganda Oil Refinery
The Uganda Oil Refinery is a planned crude oil refinery in Uganda.
Location
The refinery will be built on a piece of land in Kabaale Township, Buseruka Sub-county, Hoima District, Western Region, near the international border with the Democr ...
).
In February 2015, the Ugandan government selected the consortium led by Russia's RT Global Resources as the winning bidder, to construct the refinery. The government was expected to begin in-depth negotiations with the winning bidder for a binding agreement to construct the refinery. The negotiations were expected to last about 60 days. If the parties failed to agree on terms, the government planned to negotiate with the losing bidder, the consortium led by SK Energy of South Korea, to construct the refinery. When those talks broke down in July 2016, Uganda began talks with the reserve bidder, the consortium led by
SK Engineering & Construction of South Korea.
In August 2017, negotiations with the consortium led by SK Engineering & Construction also broke down.
Negotiations were then started with a new consortium led by Guangzhou Dongsong Energy Group, a Chinese company. Those talks collapsed in June 2017 when CPECC, the main contractor in the consortium, pulled out of the talks.
In August 2017,
Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium, a new consortium led by
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
(GE) of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
agreed to build the US$4 billion refinery. GE is to own 60 percent, while the government of Uganda and other investors take up the remaining 40 percent. Total SA, has pledged to take up a 10 percent stake in the refinery.
In December 2017,
Irene Muloni, Uganda's Energy Minister announced that the country planned to join the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...
(OPEC), by 2020, when first oil is expected.
Solar energy
The solar energy resource potential is an estimated 5.1 kilowatt-hours per square meter.
To diversify the national energy pool, the
Electricity Regulatory Authority
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) is a government agency that regulates, licenses, and supervises the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, export, and importation of electrical energy in Uganda.
Location
The offices of the ERA ...
in December 2014 licensed two solar power stations, each with capacity to generate 10 megawatts. The stations,
Tororo Solar Power Station and
Soroti Solar Power Station, were expected to come online no later than December 2015.
In December 2016, Soroti Solar Power Station was completed and connected to the national grid. Tororo Solar Power Station was also brought online in October 2017. In January 2019,
Kabulasoke Solar Power Station, a 20 megawatt development by a private IPP was commissioned and connected to the national grid.
Mayuge Solar Power Station, another 10 megawatts IPP project, that cost
USh 41 billion (approx. US$11.3 million), to build, came online in June 2019, bringing total grid-connected solar energy to 50 megawatts nationally.
See also
*
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development
*
Electricity Regulatory Authority (Uganda)
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) is a government agency that regulates, licenses, and supervises the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, export, and importation of electrical energy in Uganda.
Location
The offices of the ERA ...
*
List of power stations in Uganda
This article lists all power stations in Uganda. As of April 2019, national generation capacity was 1,177 megawatts of electricity. By January 2021, Uganda's generating capacity had increased to 1,268.9 megawatts.
Hydroelectric Completed
U ...
*
Eastern Africa Power Pool
The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), is a collaborative effort by eleven countries in Eastern Africa to interconnect their electricity grids and take advantage of excess capacity within the network and facilitate trade of electric power betwee ...
*
Nuclear power in Uganda
Nuclear power is not a component of Uganda’s energy supply but continues to be explored by the country.
In 2008, the Parliament of Uganda enacted the Atomic Energy Act of 2008 which provides a framework for the use of nuclear energy in Uganda ...
References
External links
Electricity Regulatory AuthorityMinistry of Energy and MineralsMinistry of Energy and Minerals - Data & InformationAs of 19 December 2017.
As of 21 April 2018.
{{Africa topic, Energy in
Environment of Uganda
Politics of Uganda