Uganda power utility considering geothermal in growth strategy
Skyline of Kampala, capital of Uganda (source: flickr/ Todd Huffman, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
2 Aug 2017
Naming Kenya's KenGen as a model, Uganda Electricity Generation Company (UEGCL) is looking at geothermal as option to expand its power generation capacity for a sustainable development of its energy sector.
Reported in South African news today, the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) has announced plans to become the leading power producer in the Great Lakes region.
As member of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPPI), the utility is looking at ways on how to expand its power generation capacity to supply beyond Uganda.
The company wants ensure operational and investment efficiency as a means to realise a competitive tariff.
Similar to its neighbour Kenya and Kenya Electricity Generating Company, UEGCL is working on capacity building hoping it “will create employment and result into sustainable development of the energy sector. Which also will result in lower end-user tariffs”, according to CEO of UEGCL, Dr Eng Harrison E. Mutikanga
UEGCL expects to add up to 848 MW of power generation capacity to the grid, mostly from hydro-power and small hydro power plants.
He added: ” UEGCL is also developing an alternative energy mix to reduce the heavy reliance on hydro which contributes over 80 percent of the total installed capacity, as such, we are looking at developing geothermal and solar.”
Source: South Africa BusinessReport
