Uganda Energy Situation

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Uganda

Capital:

Kampala

Region:

Coordinates:

1.0667° N, 31.8833° E

Total Area (km²): It includes a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.

241,550

Population: It is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin.

44,270,000 (2019)

Rural Population (% of total population): It refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.

73 (2023)

GDP (current US$): It is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources.

48,768,955,863 (2023)

GDP Per Capita (current US$): It is gross domestic product divided by midyear population

1,002.31 (2023)

Access to Electricity (% of population): It is the percentage of population with access to electricity.

51.50 (2023)

Energy Imports Net (% of energy use): It is estimated as energy use less production, both measured in oil equivalents. A negative value indicates that the country is a net exporter. Energy use refers to use of primary energy before transformation to other end-use fuels, which is equal to indigenous production plus imports and stock changes, minus exports and fuels supplied to ships and aircraft engaged in international transport.

20.49 (2022)

Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption (% of total): It comprises coal, oil, petroleum, and natural gas products.

8.73 (2022)

Source: World Bank

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Introduction

The energy sector is one of the key sectors in Uganda’s economy. The country has a total energy consumption of approximately 11 million TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent) (2010). This consumption is partially met by a number of energy resources including solar power, biomass and fossil fuels. Biomass is the most important source of energy for 97% of the population, providing for 90% of the total primary energy consumption, in form of firewood, charcoal or crop residues. This dependence on biomass is one of Africa’s highest. Electricity contributes only 1.1% to the national energy balance (121,000 TOE), while oil products (mainly used for vehicles and thermal power plants) account for the remaining 8.9%.

Concerning electricity generation, Uganda has an installed capacity of 595 MW, mostly consisting of hydropower. The electrification rate in Uganda is very low with 12% at national level (1991: 5.6%; 2006: 9%; 2010: 10%) but only 5% - 6% in rural areas. Uganda currently has one of the lowest per capita electricity consumption (70 kWh/year) in the world (Africa’s average: 578 kWh per capita, World average: 2,572 kWh per capita, Germany: 7,111 kWh per capita). About 72% of total electricity supplied by the main grid is consumed by 12% of the domestic population concentrated in the Kampala metropolitan area and nearby towns of Entebbe and Jinja [1]. Approximately 1% of rural households use off-grid electrification technologies (usually diesel generators or solar photovoltaic systems).

In 2004 Uganda reformed its energy sector both politically and economically to include a new legal and regulatory framework based on which the then vertically integrated monopoly, Uganda Electricity Board, was dismantled, making way for public -private partnerships. Since then, the government has provided an enabling environment for private sector investments in generation and distribution of electricity while transmission above 33kV remains a public function through the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (UETCL). An Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) was established to license and regulate operations of all electricity operators, and a Rural Electrification Agency (REA) was put in place to ensure that rural electrification, which in most cases is not commercially viable, was accelerated to achieve set targets. (Source: SE4ALL)

The energy sector provides a major contribution to the treasury resources from fuel taxes, VAT on electricity, levy on transmission bulk purchases of electricity, license fees and royalties, as well as foreign exchange earnings from power exports.
As a result, significant public investment has been injected into the sector, particularly in the area of electricity supply. Following liberalisation, the power sub-sector now attracts the largest private sector investments in the country. The sector is not only a vital input into other sectors, but also a major source of employment for Ugandans. As of 2007, total financial resources required to implement strategic interventions were about US$ 1.84 billion. It is estimated that 68% of these resources will come from direct private investment while 32% will be obtained from the public sector either through Government resources or from development partners. For the same period, the expected sector revenue is approximately US$ 2.3 billion.[3]

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Energy Demand

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Electricity demand has grown at an average of 10% per annum. This has mainly resulted from a significant GDP growth of over 6% during the past two decades. This increased demand for electricity has in the past years led to heavy load shedding since the supply hasn’t increased proportionally.

The following table shows the energy and electricity demand of the main consuming sectors:

Sector	Energy Demand (%)	Electricity Demand (%)
Residential	66.20	25.70
Commercial	14.30	14.90
Industrial	12.80	59.40
Transport	6.20	0.00
Total	100	100

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Energy Supply

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Uganda imports energy to the tune of 1,075,356 TOE and exports up to 6,589 TOE.

As mentioned above, Uganda’s main source of energy is biomass (woody and non-woody). Regarding electrical power generation, hydropower accounts for about 80% of the installed capacity of 595 MW. It should be noted that actual capacity available is less by about 100 MW due to the sinking water level in Lake Victoria. There used to be daily electricity shortages of up to 130-190 MW but these have recently decreased as a result of the commissioning of the Bujagali power station. By the time of full commissioning, scheduled for August 2012, it is hoped that the problem of electricity shortage will have been solved for at least two years.
Other sources are thermal power plants and cogeneration which are mainly accountable for the increase of total grid electricity energy supply from 1,609 GWh in 2006 to 2,456 GWh in 2010.

The following table shows Uganda‘s most important power stations:

Plant/Source	Capacity (MW)
Kiira hydro power station	200
Nalubaale hydro power station	180
Bujagali hydro power station	250 (planned). 100 (current)
Jacobsen Namanve thermal power plant	50
Electro max thermal power plant	20
Kakira Sugar Works Ltd. cogeneration	20
Kinyara sugar works Ltd. cogeneration	7
Kilembe Mines Ltd. small hydro power plant	5
Bugoye small hydro power plant	13
Ishasha small hydro power plant	6.5
Mpanga small hydro power plant	18

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Problem Situation

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Wood fuels are largely used for cooking in rural areas while charcoal provides for the cooking needs of the urban population. Due to this heavy dependence on biomass, 30% of the rural areas register a rapid depletion and overuse of forests, leading to a severe lack of biomass for daily cooking needs.

It is alarming to note that today, only 7% of Uganda’s land area is covered with forest. Most severely affected is the tropical high forest which has been reduced from about 19% to a mere 3%. Firewood scarcity is a grave constraint in Western Uganda, as well as in the rest of rural Uganda. Deforestation continues at a rate of 2.2% per year, leading to fuel wood scarcity in rural areas and an increase in price levels of charcoal and fuel wood in urban areas (about 6% per year).

Illegal cutting of trees continues to increase. About 15-20% of felled trees are used to produce charcoal, which is on demand in urban areas. Unfortunately, charcoal production is carried out under primitive conditions with an extremely low efficiency (between 8 to 12% of the original energy). At the same time, households use biomass inefficiently as the three-stone fire is still widely used for cooking. Urban and rural households are facing increasing energy costs and a lot of time is spent collecting firewood. Furthermore, the traditional use of firewood is responsible for high indoor air pollution levels, thus causing respiratory diseases that affect women and children in particular. Moreover, the two groups spend a lot of time, travelling long distances to collect fuel wood. This deprives women of valuable time to engage in income generating activities. Children also end up with no time to go to school and study [1].
95% of rural households have no access to electricity and use traditional lighting technologies. These include candles or kerosene lamps that give poor quality lighting, emit noxious fumes and present a hazard in terms of fires or burns (regarding small children especially). Furthermore, majority of social institutions (e.g. schools and health centres) in rural areas do not have access to electricity which leads to inferior health and education services in comparison to electrified institutions.

Lack of access to electricity severely constrains the economic development of rural areas of Uganda, preventing establishment of certain businesses that require electricity and forcing companies to buy diesel or petrol generators that are costly to operate and have negative environmental impacts. Furthermore, job creation is seriously constrained by lack of adequate investment for provision of rural infrastructure services, of which electricity is a key component. In addition, lack of electricity limits access to information and communication technologies (e.g. mobile phones, computers, Internet). This contributes to continued isolation of rural areas.
Household connections almost doubled to about 450,000 in 2011 (in comparison to 2005). Ironically, a substantial segment of rural businesses and households which are not connected to the main grid are willing and able to pay significant sums for electricity. Some of these have even resorted to self-provision of electricity, at a unit cost higher than it would prevail in an organized, commercial delivery system.[1]

In 2006, Uganda experienced an unprecedented electricity deficit of about 105 MW, due to prolonged drought, inadequate investment in low cost generation capacity and a relatively high load growth. This resulted in massive electricity rationing and forced the country to resort to expensive thermal generation. The government has since put in place a comprehensive plan to address energy deficits and meet the populations’ long term energy needs [2].

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Energy Resources

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Uganda is richly endowed with abundant energy resources which are fairly distributed throughout the country. These include hydro, biomass, solar, geothermal, peat and fossil fuels. The energy resource potential of the country includes an estimated 2000 MW of hydro power, 450 MW of geothermal, 460 million tonnes of biomass standing stock with a sustainable annual yield of 50 million tons, an average of 5.1 kWh/m2 per day of solar energy, and about 250 million TOE of peat. In addition, an unspecified amount of petroleum has been discovered in the western part of the country. [2] The overall renewable energy power generation potential is estimated to be 5,300 MW.

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Biomass

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Biomass is the predominant energy type used in Uganda. It accounts for 90% of the total energy consumption in the country and grew by approximately 3.6% between 1995 and 2000. Key forms used are firewood, charcoal, and shrubs. Grass, farm residues and wood wastes are used in regions facing significant wood scarcity. Charcoal is mainly used in urban areas while firewood, agro-residues and wood wastes are widely used in rural areas. Whereas these resources are widely used for energy generation, most of the traditional biomass energy technologies which include wood and charcoal stoves, ovens and kilns used in Uganda are inefficient.

Firewood is used mainly with three-stone stoves in rural households for cooking and for food preparation by commercial vendors in urban areas. Less than 9% of all households use efficient wood stoves. Although some institutions like schools and hospitals still use firewood, their stoves are most often more advanced. Charcoal is mainly used in a metallic stove traditionally known as a ‘sigiri’. Use of improved charcoal stoves with a ceramic insulation lining is increasing. The conversion of firewood to charcoal uses mainly earth mounds and pits, which give an average conversion efficiency of about 10% - 15%. Efforts to train charcoal makers in efficient ways to make charcoal have had a limited impact and most of them still make it on an individual and traditional basis. Like most African countries, research, development and dissemination of efficient and modern biomass technologies are inadequate.

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Biomass Potential and Distribution

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Biomass supply comes from various sources, the most prominent of which are hardwood plantations mainly eucalyptus and indigenous species, woodlands which consist of trees of 5m and above, with a canopy cover of over 40%, bush lands of small shrubs occurring in the open and subsistence farmland.

The total standing biomass stock is approximately 460 million tonnes, with a sustainable biomass supply of 50.8 million tonnes. However, accessible sustainable wood biomass supply stands at 27.7 million tonnes. When crop residues are included, whose theoretical potential in Uganda is about 4.4 million tonnes, there is a national net surplus. The total amount of agricultural residue left after harvesting or processing of crops amounts to almost 11 million tonnes per year. Unfortunately, the only businesses that utilize these residues for energy production are sugar factories which use the sugarcane residue for cogeneration that is limited for own use and in some cases feeding into the national grid. A small amount of coffee and rice husks is also utilized in heat production, in cement and tiles manufacturing. Otherwise all residues are either used as a fertilizer and/or animal fodder.

In terms of overall wood biomass at national level, there is deficit of 85,000 tonnes, which can be covered by crop residues. At regional level, there is a deficit of about 3 million tonnes in both the Central and Eastern Regions, and a surplus of about 4 million tonnes in the Northern Region and of about 2 million in the Western Region.

Looking at districts, Kampala has the biggest deficit, of over 2.5 million tonnes. Other major towns like Mbarara and Mbale also have significant deficits of 400,000 and 600,000 tonnes respectively. 26 districts have a surplus in biomass, while 30 lack sufficient amounts. The wood biomass demand and supply scenario predicts that in the next ten years, the country will move from a surplus to a deficit and later, to an acute deficit. For information on challenges and issues affecting the exploitation of biomass in Uganda, click here.

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Biomass Stoves: Best Practice Case Study

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Against a background of high deforestation rates and firewood scarcity in Uganda, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, through the Energy Advisory Project (EAP) and its successor PREEEP, has partnered with NGOs and the private sector to promote improved stoves. These include the Rocket Lorena Stove, shielded fire rocket stoves for households. They also promote institutional rockets stoves and baking ovens for social institutions and SMEs. Rocket stoves for households have been modified to fit the socio-economic setting of the rural poor by using locally available materials that can be obtained cheaply.

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Hydropower

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The electricity supply system in Uganda was first developed during the 1950s and 1960s with the construction of the Owen Falls Hydropower Station (later renamed Nalubale Power Station). The station has 10 generators with a total installed capacity of 150 MW. It was later refurbished and upgraded to 180 MW and a new one, Kiira, with a capacity of 200 MW was also constructed. With the liberalization of the economy and the disbanding of UEB, the electricity utility company, both Nalubale and Kiira hydro power stations are leased to Eskom (U) Ltd under a 20 year concession agreement. The two hydropower stations form the back bone of the electricity supply network in the country.

Private companies, Kilembe Mines Ltd, Tronder Power and Kasese Cobalt Co. Ltd have their own smaller hydropower plants Mubuku I (5.4 MW), Mobuku II (14 MW) and Mobuku III (10.5 MW). These stations were initially built to supply their own industrial activity, but due to the interruption in the copper and cobalt production activities, the companies entered into a contract with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company in 2003 to sell power to the grid. Furthermore, there are other power stations namely Eco Power, (6.4 MW), and Africa Energy Management Systems, Mpanga (18 MW). Three other small hydro power stations namely Kuluva (120 kW) Kagando (60 kW) and Kisiizi (300 kW) supply electricity to isolated hospital grids. The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) is in the process of developing small hydro power schemes in Bwindi (64 kW) and Suam (40 kW).

Uganda faces acute electricity supply shortage. The country’s total installed capacity is 595 MW, generated primarily from Owen Falls Hydropower Station at Jinja in South Eastern Uganda (see Wikipedia "List of power stations in Uganda"). However, in 2009 only 140 MW (380 MW were installed at the time) could be used as a result of low water levels of Lake Victoria. The other cause of the persistent electricity supply problems is the gap between the growing demand for electricity and the new generation capacity. To alleviate this problem, the government has procured emergency thermal generators resulting in increased electricity tariff. A new hydro facility has been developed at Bujagali, and has been partially operational since February 2012. This installation will generate approximately 250 MW. Before Bujagali became operational, 150 MW thermal capacities had been added in order to bridge the gap until the beginning of 2012.

It should be noted that all big power generation plants belong to the Ugandan Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) but are operated and managed by ESKOM, Aggreko and other companies. (Two dams in Uganda are equipped with desilting gates and have proper plans for the management of upstream water and land use issues. There are however no national plans for optimised operation of power plants under variable flow regimes.

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Hydro Potential and Distribution

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A Hydropower Development Master Plan has been developed with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Uganda has considerable hydro resource potential, which is estimated to be app. 2000 MW. The large-scale hydropower potential is along the White Nile which originates from Lake Victoria. The flow of the White Nile River is controlled by the Owen Falls Dam with the water being released according to an “agreed curve” (the relationship of the lake level and the flow representing the natural flow rate) at Ripon Falls.

In the long term, four large hydro power stations will be constructed at Isimba, 140 MW (PPP, ca. 2017), Karuma, 400 MW (government project, ca. 2017) Ayago North, 300MW and South, 200MW (ca. 2022) respectively. The Kalagala, 450MW project is unlikely to be realized due to World Bank restrictions. Another possible location is at Murchison Falls, with a potential of 300MW.

Small and mini hydro sites are mainly located in the east and the western parts of the country which are hilly and mountainous. A total of 59 mini hydropower sites with a total potential of about 210 MW have been identified through different studies. The level of studies is uneven with some sites having been studied to feasibility stage. Nevertheless, this gives a fair picture of small and mini hydro potential in the country. Some of the sites can be developed for isolated grids and others as energy suppliers to the grid. For information on challenges and issues affecting exploitation of hydropower in Uganda, click here.

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Solar Energy

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The amount of solar energy utilization in Uganda is still very low. The use of solar photovoltaic (PV) began in the early 1980s, mainly driven by donor funded programmes, for lighting and vaccine refrigeration in health centres. Later, the Uganda Railways Cooperation, a government parastatal, installed 35kW at 29 locations for communications and signalling. The Uganda Post and Telecommunications Cooperation also installed 30kW at 35 remote telecommunication sites throughout the country. Some of the earlier initiatives include:

Some of the earlier initiatives included:

• PV systems installed by Uganda Rural Development and Training in Kagadi through a credit scheme supported by a Dutch organization Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS).
• Habitat for Humanity and Solar Electric Light Fund funded by the US Department of Energy installed 125 solar home systems to low income families in Kasese.
• Solar Energy Uganda Ltd in partnership with Solar Light Churches for Africa installed a number of PV systems. However, the efforts were uncoordinated and lacked after sales support.

From 1998 to 2003, the government with funding from UNDP and GEF implemented the Uganda Photovoltaic Pilot Project for Rural Electrification which was aimed at removing barriers to wide spread use of solar PV. The project created awareness, built capacity of the private sector and arranged financing for vendors and end-users, among other things. As a result, the solar PV industry has become much more vibrant. Although no comprehensive study has yet been undertaken, it is estimated that over 20,000 PV systems have been installed in the country. The total new installed photovoltaic capacity annually is estimated at 200 kWp for households, institutions and commercial enterprises.

In 2001, the Government put in place a Rural Electrification Strategy and Plan (RESP) which will, among other things, increase use of solar PV in rural areas. The RESP had a target of 80,000 PV systems by 2012. Under the Energy for Rural Transformation (ERT) programme, World Bank and the Private Sector Foundation are implementing a sales - based performance subsidy scheme and providing business development support to private PV dealers. This intervention is expected to increase PV sales. Within the same programme, the Ministries of Health, Education, and Water, as well as the Uganda Communication Commission have procured PV systems to meet their sectors' electricity needs. The Ministry of Health procured 568 PV systems for health centres under ERT Phase 1 and the Ministry of Education, 458 solar systems for 129 post-primary institutions in 10 districts.

The number of solar thermal systems installed for hot water is very low although there are no official figures available. The government carried out a pilot project with support from PREEEP, with the expectation of installing 45,000 solar water heaters by 2012.
According to the Alternative Resources Assessment and Utilisation Study, the total potential for solar water heaters is estimated at 161,000 m2 of collector surface. A substantial growth in the economy may lead to a much higher demand than assumed if only 10% of urban households demanded hot water.

PVTMA and Value Added Taxes (VAT) exemption have also been in operation for at least four years. This means that for the last years, the government has been developing various incentive schemes to promote solar PV uptake for both consumers and suppliers for the off-grid sector.

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Solar Potential and Distribution

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The average solar radiation is 5.1 kWh/m2/day. Existing solar data clearly indicates that the solar energy resource in Uganda is high throughout the year. The data indicates a yearly variation (max month / min month) of only about maximum 20% (from 4.5 to 5.5 W/m2), which is due to the country’s location near the equator. Insulation is highest in the dryer areas in the north-east and low in the mountains in the east and south-west. For information on challenges and issues affecting exploitation of solar energy in Uganda, click here.

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Photovoltaic (PV): Best Practice Case Study

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Against the background of low electrification rates, particularly in rural areas, the Uganda Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development with financial support from UNDP and GEF implemented the Uganda Photovoltaic Pilot Project for Rural Electrification (1998-2003). The main objective of the project was to provide basic electrical services through solar PV to rural areas unlikely to have access to grid-based electricity in the foreseeable future. More information on the project can be found here.

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Wind Energy

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All wind measurements which have been carried out so far are for meteorological record purposes (general weather data). This data cannot serve to document wind energy’s potential as the standard height for the location of measuring equipment is in this case two metres above ground; yet for ideal measurements, they should be higher. More to that, the sensors used, are often placed close to obstacles, a situation which may distort readings. As such, there’s a need to compile wind data with the intention of monitoring wind speeds for energy utilization.

Based on wind data collections done by the Department of Meteorology, Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment, at 11 sites over three years (1989-1992), wind speeds in most areas of Uganda are moderate with average speed not exceeding 3 m/s. In some areas with complex terrain, the wind may however speed up due to slopes of hills, escarpments and tunnelling effects. In mountainous areas like the south-western part towards the border with Rwanda (Kabale, Kisoro, Ntungamo) and in the area around Mt. Elgon, average wind speed goes up to about 4 m/s. Measurement carried out under the Alternative Energy Resource Assessment and Utilisation Study at two sites for five months (June-Sept 2003) indicated that the average wind speed at Kabale and Mukono at 20m was 3.7m/s. This study concluded that the wind energy resource in Uganda is insufficient for large scale electricity generation. However, the wind resource may be suitable for special applications, such as water pumping in remote areas and for small scale electricity generation in mountainous areas.

It is possible that some sites could have enough wind speeds to generate substantial amount of electricity. Preliminary investigations in the Karamoja region (North Eastern Uganda) and along the shores of Lake Victoria have shown that there could be potential for production of electricity on a medium scale.

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Geothermal

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The exploration for geothermal resources in Uganda is still at the reconnaissance and exploration stage. Reconnaissance surveys on Ugandan hot springs started in 1921 by the geological survey of Uganda and the first results were published by Wayland (1935). In 1973, as a result of the oil crisis, an attempt was made to initiate a geothermal project with United Nations support. This did not materialise due to political turmoil in the country at the time.

Geothermal energy resources in Uganda are estimated at 450 MW. Exploration for geothermal energy has been in progress since 1993 with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB), IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), Iceland and BGR (German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources). Iceland has financed two pre-feasibility studies, BGR one. So far three potential areas, all situated in western Uganda, in the western branch of the East African Rift Valley have been identified for detailed exploration. The three potential areas are Katwe-Kikorongo, Buranga and Kibiro. Based on recent assessments, they have all been ranked as potential targets for geothermal development. Those sites are also included in the National Development Plan with the aim of constructing three geothermal plans with a combined capacity of 100 MW by 2014/15. MEMD is planning to develop a Geothermal Policy and subsequently, a Geothermal Act. The three sites have been licensed to private developers (3-year exploration license based on the Mining Act of 2003). The current study results indicate that the temperature level varies between 150 C° and 200 C°, which is sufficient for electricity generation and for direct use in industry and agriculture. The rest of the geothermal areas of Uganda are at a preliminary level of investigation and results will soon be available to provide a basis for their prioritisation for detailed surface exploration. Further information on the current status can be found here.

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Cogeneration and Fossil Fuels

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There is a considerable potential of cogeneration in the sugar processing industry as well as, textile manufactures, beer industry, cement industries and foods and beverages industry; the potential in the sugar industry alone is currently estimated to be over 100MW while for other industries it could be over 50MW. Cogeneration contributes to power generation as well as to the goal of energy efficiency.

As of 2007, consumption of petroleum in Uganda stands at 800,000 m³ per annum, growing at about 6% per annum. The petroleum import bill stands at US$ 250 million per year. This constitutes about 8% of total national imports and represents slightly above 20% of total export earnings. Uganda imports its entire petroleum product from overseas since there is no local production yet. About 90% of Uganda’s petroleum imports are routed through Kenya with only 10% coming through Tanzania.
Oil has been detected in six (6) sedimentary basins in Uganda, the most prospective being the Albertine Graben covering 23,000 Sq km in the Western Rift Valley along Uganda’s Border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two other basins, Hoima basin and Lake Kyoga basins are still under investigation.

Currently the amount of oil discovered is about 2.5 Billion barrels of which 800,000 to 1.5 million barrels are recoverable. It is important to note that less than 30% of the Albertine Graben has been evaluated. Some analysts anticipate that this area may hold more than 6 billion barrels of oil, placing Uganda potentially among the foremost African oil producers. So far over 1 Billion US$ has been invested in seismic studies and drilling of wells since 1998. By international standards, the cost of finding a barrel of oil has been very low in Uganda. Bigger investments are required to develop the discovered oil and gas fields.

President Museveni would like the oil companies to build an oil refinery. This would likely cost a minimum of $2 billion. It will be developed in three phases under a public-private partnership.
While the government has imposed a moratorium on licensing of new exploration areas, it is reported that over 100 oil companies have shown an interest in the Ugandan market. A production sharing agreement between the Government and the consortium Tullow Oil (Ireland -UK), Total (France) and CNOOC (China) was concluded in February 2012. The treasury will receive $472m in capital gains tax following this agreement. The consortium has currently partitioned the Albertine Graben exploration area and will in the near future detail its planning for the construction of the oil fields.

The Ugandan Government has meanwhile introduced two bills to Parliament, as of February 2012: one covers downstream issues and is named the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill. The other covers midstream issues and is referred to as the Petroleum (Refining, Gas Processing and Conversion Transportation and Storage) Bill. A Downstream Act (Petroleum Supply Act) has been in effect since 2003. The proposed bills are currently under discussion. A third one, covering revenue management, has been drafted but not formally presented to Parliament yet.

Norway is the lead development partner in the petroleum sector, with a three-year, US$15 million programme which began in June 2009. Ireland is meanwhile considering ways in which it can support civil society in Uganda to work in the sector; A lot of support is also coming from International bodies and countries with the IMF providing support on petroleum revenue management, AfDB providing support on infrastructure, DFID funding some groups and is exploring other ways to support civil society; the World Bank is helping with environmental regulations and discussing a possible Petroleum Sector Support Project for 2012 with the government. The EU Delegation is also active in all pertinent donor fora in which oil is becoming an increasingly important issue. Indeed the EU is actively seeking better coordination and consolidation of current donor activity. (Source: SE4ALL) For more information on the fossil fuels resources in Uganda, click here.

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Transmission and Distribution

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The Ugandan grid is split up into transmission (above30-33 kV) and distribution (30 kV and below). Estimated losses (2011) are at 4% in the transmission system and 28% in the distribution system (2005: 38%). The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd. (UETCL) is the bulk supplier and single buyer of power for the national grid in Uganda. It is the purchaser of all independently generated power in the Country and it also imports electricity from neighbouring countries. UETCL is also responsible for publishing standardized tariffs for renewable energy generation of up to 20 MW capacity based on the avoided cost principle.The length of domestic transmission and distribution lines is14312 km.

The biggest company empowered to trade and supply electricity at 33kV and below is Umeme Ltd, leased the assets of the formerly government owned distribution company (Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd). There are some mini-grid distribution systems and one off-grid generation and distribution company (West Nile Rural Electrification Company Ltd).

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Policy Framework

Energy Policy and Poverty Reduction Strategy

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The government of Uganda has over the past eight years embarked on a Power sub-Sector Reform Programme which has seen the implementation of significant structural changes within the sector. The Reform Programme is aimed at providing adequate, reliable and least-cost power supply to meet the country’s demand, promoting the efficient operation of the power sector and scaling up rural and peri-urban access to energy. This is all geared towards poverty eradication. Despite implementation of these reforms, the country continues to experience significant power supply shortages, low rates of access to electricity and high levels of power losses, all impacting negatively on the country’s economic growth. A low level of access to modern forms of energy, particularly electricity, has continued to be one of the major infrastructure bottlenecks to socio-economic growth in Uganda.

The following laws have been passed in order to reform the energy sector:

The Electricity Act, 1999

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The salient features of the Act are:
a. Liberalizing the electricity industry;
b. Disbanding of the Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) (historically a vertically integrated monopoly) into three entities namely generation, transmission and distribution;
c. Establishment of Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to regulate the sector;
d. Establishment of the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), with the main objective of enhancing rural access to electricity; and
e. Establishment of the Electricity Dispute Tribunal (EDT) that has jurisdiction to hear and determine electricity sector disputes which are referred to it.

The Energy Policy for Uganda, 2002

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The main policy goal is “to meet the energy needs of the Ugandan population for social and economic development, in an environmentally sustainable manner”. The broad policy objectives are:
a. To establish the availability, potential and demand of the various energy resources in the country.
b. To increase access to modern affordable and reliable energy services as a contribution to poverty eradication.
c. To improve energy governance and administration.
d. To stimulate economic development.
e. To manage energy-related environmental impacts.
f. To increase the role of private sector in the power sector operations and future development.

Renewable Energy Policy for Uganda, 2007

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The overall goal of the Renewable Energy Policy (REP) is to increase the use of modern renewable energy.
The key policy objectives include:
a. To maintain and improve the responsiveness of the legal and institutional framework to promote renewable energy investments;
b. To establish an appropriate financing and fiscal policy framework for investments in renewable energy technologies;
c. To promote research and development, international cooperation, technology transfer and adoption of standards in renewable energy technologies;
d. To utilize biomass energy efficiently so as to contribute to the management of the resource in a sustainable manner;
e. To promote the sustainable production and utilization of bio-fuels; and
f. To promote the conversion of municipal and industrial waste to energy.

Under the power generation programme, REP promotes power generation from mini-hydro power schemes, biomass, cogeneration, wind, solar, geothermal and peat. There are plans to consider nuclear power generation in the power mix in the long term.

The Atomic Energy Act, 2008

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The Act provides for:
a. Regulation of the peaceful applications of ionizing radiation;
b. Establishment the Atomic Energy Council (AEC);
c. Protection and safety of individuals, society and the environment from the dangers resulting from ionizing radiation;
d. Production and use of radiation sources and the management of radioactive waste;
e. A framework for the promotion and development of nuclear energy for use in power generation and other peaceful purposes;
f. Compliance with international safety requirements for the use of ionizing radiation, radiation protection and security of radioactive sources;
g. Repeal of the Atomic Energy Act, Cap. 143; and other related matters.

Energy is also an integral part of the Ugandan government’s Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) which includes frequent references to the link between energy and poverty alleviation. The Ugandan government has set the target of providing 10% of rural population with access to electricity until 2012. This target has been specified in the Rural Electrification Strategy and Plan as well as in the PEAP. It was planned to be achieved by grid extension (including through private sector involvement), mini-grids and stand-alone electrification systems.

In April 2010, the government of Uganda launched the National Development Plan (NDP), which covers a number of energy issues. One of the objectives of this plan is to increase access and consumption of electricity for growth, employment and socio-economic transformation. Limitations of the forestry sector and their impacts on the country's development are elaborated. So are challenges of the power sector. In consequence, the NDP highlights the following strategies to overcome barriers of the energy sector towards achievement of its goals: Increase power generation capacity to reach 780-820 MW, mainly through large and small hydro; increase rural electrification from 6% to 10% by, among others, subsidization of mini-grids; promotion of energy efficiency, reduction of power losses from 40% to 16%; revision of existing policies in the energy sector and promotion of renewable energies, esp. biomass and solar.

A consultant supported the Ministry to work out The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill to promote efficient utilisation of energy in Uganda. Besides that several awareness raising campaigns are carried out.

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Tariffs

Energy cost

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With 170 MW of thermal power on the grid, the cost reflective tariff of power was estimated at 964 UGX/kWh(38,56 Eurocent/kWh). The end user tariff was then UGX.382 (15,28 Eurocent/kWh) for domestic consumers and the difference between the cost reflective tariff and the end-user retail tariffs was met through a government subsidy. In the FY 2011/2012 alone, government budgeted for UGX.417 billion (166,800,000 EUR) on account of subsidies to the electricity. This level of subsidy was totally unacceptable given that it was depriving other essential areas of resources. Government addressed this imbalance by allowing a tariff increase by an average of 55.5% effective mid January 2012 and at the same time taking into account the fact that Bujagali commissioning was coming on line. Currently, the end user retail tariff is based on consumer category as illustrated in the following table. However, to cater for the poor, the life line tariff was not increased and remains at UGX.100 (4 Eurocent) per unit up to 15 whirs per month. Bill collection increased from 80% in 2005 to 98% in 2011.

Table:

Charge	Code 10.1 (domestic)	Code 10.2/3 (commercial)	Code 20 (medium industrial)	Code 30 (large industrial)	Code 50 (street lights)
Average	524.5	487.6	458.9	312.8	488.7
Peak	-	550.9	518.6	375.4	-
Shoulder	-	487.6	458.9	312.8	-
Off-peak	-	380.8	376.3	256.6	-

Feed-in-Tariffs (FiT)

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To promote the development and use of renewable energy sources, the government has developed a feed-in-tariff structure. A Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) is an instrument for promoting private sector generation of electricity from renewable energy sources. Renewable energy in the context of REFIT is defined as electricity which can be generated from energy resources such as water power, wind power, solar energy, geothermal energy, biogas and landfill gas combustion, and biomass cogeneration.
The REFIT applies to small-scale renewable energy systems of prescribed priority technologies, up to a maximum installed project capacity of 20MW, as defined by the Electricity Act 1999.
The Feed-in-Tariff for solar power amounts to 0, 27 EUR/kWh (maximum Feed-in 1 MW). Depending on the size of the hydro power station, Feed-in-Tariffs between 0,082 EUR/kWh and 0,055 EUR/kWh are paid by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Limited (UETCL).

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Institutional Set-up and Actors in the Energy Sector

Public Institutions

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There are three main governmental institutions dealing with renewable energies for power generation:

• The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) is the lead agency in the energy sector. The Ministry is responsible for policy formulation, promotion, coordination, monitoring and evaluation. MEMD is also responsible for initiating legislation in the energy sector. Uganda’s National Energy Policy is so far centralized, i.e. there are no energy officers at sub-national/district level. Part of MEMD is the Energy Department (ED), which is structured according to sectors. ED comprises four divisions “Energy Efficiency”, “New and Renewable Energies”, “Electric Power” and “Provision with Oil Products”.
• Rural Electrification Agency (REA) functions as the secretariat to the Rural Electrification Board, which realizes MEMD`s rural electrification plans as stipulated in the Indicative Rural Electrification Master Plan. REA controls public funds as for the subsidization of rural electrification projects.
• Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), which was established by the Electricity Act of 1999, is in charge to issue licences for the generation, transmission, distribution or sales of electricity. ERA has also the mandate to establish a tariff structure and investigate tariff charges and approve the rates of charges. A copy of the latest tarriffs can be found REFIT Guidelines V4 (2).pdf here.

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Development Partners

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Uganda has a large community of international development partners in the energy sector. Better co-ordination and better management of international donor support to facilitate improved energy access, better value for money and the reduction of duplication would benefit Uganda significantly. Activities are coordinated through the Energy and Mineral Development Partners Group (EMDPG) which Germany is leading since November 2010. At present, the following institutions and countries are represented in this working group: KfW, GIZ, USAID, DFID, EIB, EU-Commission, France, Ireland, IWF, AdDB, JICA, Norway and World Bank. Other institutions supporting the Ugandan energy sector include: NORAD, IAEA, USTDA, IDB, UNDP, UNIDO, NDF and SIDA.

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Projects Implementing NGOs

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Energy is generally a side topic for most Ugandan NGOs. However, there are several NGOs with certain experiences in the field of the introduction of improved stoves.

Private Sector

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In the field of photovoltaic systems, there are about 25 dealers in Uganda. Solar companies in general have difficulties and/or low incentives to develop markets in rural areas and focus their interest on urban areas. Nevertheless, over the last years, more and more products targeting rural customers have entered the market (e.g. solar lanterns certified by Lighting Africa). Therefore, several partners (MEMD, REA, GIZ, PSFU and private sector companies) are working jointly to foster rural based market structures.

In the field of stoves there are numerous workshops and craftsmen producing stoves especially for the urban market. Part of these workshops and craftsmen were trained by the EnDev-Uganda programme.

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Key Problems Hampering Access to Modern Energy Services in Rural Areas

Obstacles for Grid Based Rural Electrification

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The government of Uganda has limited resources for extending the grid to rural areas. At the moment, its focus is on solving the power supply crisis that is crippling the national economy. Based on an improved power generation, its present efforts are concentrated on extending the grid to major urban and peri - urban areas.

Tariff rates for customers differ according to the category of client. They reflect the cost of electricity supply to that category. Implementation of this principle eliminates cross-subsidization of any category of customers by other categories. As a result, the tariff for domestic consumers is relatively high with 0,17 € per kWh (UGX.524). This tariff is often higher than the tariff for industrial consumers because domestic consumers who are supplied at low voltage impose higher investment and operational costs on the system than industrial consumers who are supplied at the high voltage or medium voltage.

For Umeme Ltd., it is generally profitable to extend the grid. However, poor households cannot afford connection fees and electricity costs. In addition, collection costs are high in areas with dispersed population and low numbers of clients. Prepaid meters, though not common in Uganda are catching on under an Umeme project to install them. At present, installations are taking place in a pilot project in Kitintale. They have so far reached 10,000 domestic power consumers.

Beside Umeme, private companies invest only in exceptional cases in off-grid solutions. Normally, costs of providing access are too high due to remoteness of the sites, dispersed populations and difficulty of the terrain. Local communities don’t dispose of sufficient proper financial resources to make infrastructure investments in their community.

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Obstacles for Off Grid Energy Technologies and Services

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There is strong political motivation to improve access to electricity for rural populations, particularly those not connected to the grid. However, in the case of solar home systems both the affordability and availability are seen as major problems for dissemination of solar systems in rural areas. In the case of hydropower, investment costs are generally not affordable for rural communities and investors. In addition, there is a lack of management skills to operate micro hydro power plants (-> more information on how to plan Micro Hydro Power Projects (MHPP)).

Generally, the availability of micro-finance schemes for energy technologies in rural areas is limited. Even if accessible, costs for such financing are very high (typically at rates as high as 25% per month). Large parts of the country have almost no access to institutional micro-finance services and must rely largely on moneylenders, suppliers, family and friends for short term seasonal loans. There are no secure liquid savings options available to these households, which would enable them to build assets over time. Existing micro-finance institutions often have a narrow credit product line, limited experience in rural markets and a lack of access to best practice information and technical tools. In addition marketing and maintenance structures for energy technology devices in rural areas are weak. Almost all retailers are established in the big cities with no outlets in rural communities. Thus, clients have to travel to cities to purchase energy devices and for repair orders, which is difficult for most rural families. Established rural outlets are considered not to be profitable due to the high costs of transportation and mobilization, the dispersed nature of rural populations and low income and low demand of the local population. Last but not least, the fact that urban markets are hardly provided yet makes them more attractive and reliable for solar dealers. As such, MEMD and GIZ have established a network of dealers, in cooperation with REA and PSFU.

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Further Information

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• Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation (n.d.). Northern Uganda Energy Situation.
• Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development 2002, The Energy Policy for Uganda, Kampala, September 2002
• Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development 2001, Rural Electrification Strategy and Plan.
• Kamfor Company Ltd 2006, Report on the Renewable Energy Resource Information Development and Capacity Building Assessment In Uganda, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Kampala, January 2007.
• Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment 2002, The National Forest Plan, October 2002
• Kennedy & Donkin Power Limited 1996, The UEB Hydropower Development Master Plan – Part 1, Volume 2 Main Report, Kampala November 1997.
• Kennedy & Donkin Power Limited 1996, The UEB Hydropower Development Master Plan – part 1, Volume 7, Hydrology and Hydropower Potential of Non-Nile Rivers, July 1996 .
• Sweco International 2001, Evaluation of Hydropower Potential Sites in Uganda with Capacity in Range of 0.5 – 50 MW, Kampala, March 2001.
• Electrowatt-Ekono Oy – Norplan AS, COWI A/S 2003. The Uganda Alternative Energy Resources Assessment and Utilisation Study, Kampala, June 2003.
• Electrowatt-Ekono Oy, NORPLAN A.S and COWI A/S (2004): The Uganda Alternative Energy Resources Assessment and Utilization Study AERDP Main Report Phase 1, Kampala, February 2004
• Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development 2006, Plan for Meeting Uganda’s Electricity Supply Needs In The Short, Medium And Long Term, Kampala June 2006.
• United Nations Development Programme (1998), Uganda Photovoltaic Pilot Project for Rural Electrification, Project Document, Kampala 1998.
• B. Banks and G. Kihuguru (2006), Uganda Photovoltaic Pilot Project for Rural Electrification UGA/97/G32 Ex-Post Evaluation Report, UNDP, Kampala, May 2006.
• Pallabazzer, R.: The Wind resources in Uganda. Renewable Energy, Vol 13, no 1, pp 41-49, 1998.
• Uganda - Information Sources

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References

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