Uganda is the latest country to join Africa’s solar energy revolution. AMEA Power, a Dubai-based renewable energy developer, has begun construction on the country’s 24 MWp (megawatt peak) solar project.
The $19 million Ituka solar project covers 52 hectares and is located in Ombachi village, 450 km from Kampala.
Once commissioned, the project will be the first and largest utility-scale grid-connected solar PV project in the West Nile region of Uganda.
It is also AMEA’s first operational property in the country.
Power from the site is distributed through the newly constructed Lira-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua 132kV transmission line, which is operated by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company.
Like most African countries, Uganda suffers from power outages and other energy infrastructure problems.
The Ituka solar project is an important step in solving such challenges in the West Nile region and contributes 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 energy resources, Africa accounts for only 1% of the world’s installed solar PV capacity.
Power Technologies parent company GlobalData reported that the Middle East and Africa together recorded the lowest percentage share of global cumulative installed solar PV capacity (2.41% in 2023) and generation (2.83% in 2023).
Despite these figures, a record number of solar panels were installed across Africa in 2023.
With the price of solar panels having fallen by 99% over the past 40 years, solar energy was seen as the most suitable solution to the continent’s electricity access problems.
Robin Mills, a nonresident fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, told the Telegraph: “In Africa, the electricity supply is very poor. So if solar energy can solve that, that would be a huge help. It could be the basis for industrialization and production, because that is what Africa really needs.”
The Fund for infrastructure in emerging Africa has been incredibly influential in supporting solar energy development across Africa. It is the sole backer of the Ituka project, as well as the $20 million Cuamba solar project in Mozambique and the $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 areas to the grid for the first time.
Also, various solar technologies are being deployed on the continent to support agriculture, allowing farmers to perform their tasks without power outages and increasing the country’s food security.
However, the solar revolution must be accompanied by other energy developments. Integrating renewable technologies into existing infrastructure will be difficult, given the continent’s lack of reliable, extensive electricity grids. An established reliance on conventional fossil fuel sources could also deter investment in renewable development.
Yet Africa is on track to realise its full clean energy potential, with solar projects being developed in countries including Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda, and African governments pledging to transition from fossil fuel-based electricity to renewables.
“Uganda Starts Ituka Project, Joins Africa’s Solar Revolution” was originally created and published by Energy technologya brand of GlobalData.
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