Uganda has become the latest country to join Africa’s solar revolution, as Dubai-based renewable energy developer AMEA Power begins construction of the country’s 24 MWp (megawatt peak) solar project.
The US$19 million Ituka solar photovoltaic (PV) project covers 52 hectares and is located in Ombachi village, 450 km from Kampala.
Once commissioned, the project will be the first and largest large-scale grid-connected solar photovoltaic project in the West Nile region of Uganda.
It is also AMEA’s first operational asset in the country.
Power from the site will be distributed via the newly constructed 132kV Lira-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua transmission line, operated by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company.
Like most African countries, Uganda suffers from electricity cuts, among other problems with its energy infrastructure.
The Ituka solar project is a significant step in resolving such challenges in the West Nile region, contributing to the much-needed development of energy infrastructure on the continent.
In 2022, the International Energy Agency reported that despite having 60% of the world’s solar resources, Africa accounted for just 1% of global installed solar PV capacity.
Energy Technology GlobalData controller reported that the Middle East and Africa combined recorded the lowest percentage of global cumulative installed solar PV capacity (2.41% in 2023) and production (2.83% in 2023).
Despite recording these numbers, 2023 saw a record number of solar modules installed across Africa.
With the price of solar modules decreasing by 99% over the last 40 years, solar energy has been considered the most suitable solution to the continent’s struggles with electricity accessibility.
Robin Mills, a nonresident fellow at the Center for Global Energy Policy, told Telegraph: “In Africa, electricity supply is very poor. So if solar energy can fix this, that would be extremely helpful. It could be the basis for industrialization and production, because that is what Africa really needs.”
O Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund has been incredibly influential in supporting solar development across Africa. It is the sole creditor of the Ituka project, as well as the US$20 million Cuamba solar project in Mozambique and the US$35 million Kesses solar project in Kenya.
The implications of the solar revolution in Africa are remarkable. Projects like the Ituka solar plant will connect remote regions to the grid for the first time.
Various solar technologies are also being deployed across the continent to support agriculture as farmers will be able to carry out their tasks without power cuts and increase the country’s food security.
However, the solar revolution must be accompanied by other energy developments. It will be difficult to integrate renewable technologies into existing infrastructure, given the lack of extensive and reliable electricity grids across the continent. An established dependence on conventional fossil fuel sources could also dissuade investment from renewable development.
However, with the development of solar projects in Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda, among others, and promises by African governments to switch from fossil fuel-based electricity to renewable energy, Africa is on the right path to unleashing all its clean energy potential. .
“Uganda breaks new ground in Ituka project, joining Africa’s solar revolution” was originally created and published by energy technologya brand owned by GlobalData.
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