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Uganda

Official Name:
Republic of Uganda

National Designated Entity

Type of organisation:
Government/Ministry
Name:
Mr. Maxwell Otim Onapa
Position:
Director, Research UNFCCC-CTCN-NDE Focal Point
Phone:
+256 417 888 200 +256 772997450

Energy profile

Type: 
Energy profile
Energy profile
Extent of network

The level of electrification is very low, and in 2009, only about 9% of the population had access to the electricity grid. In rural areas, where more than 85% of the population lives, roughly 1% of the households are connected to the grid, while the remainder generate electricity from household diesel generators, batteries and solar photovoltaic systems (PV). Due to the lack of grid development, a number of companies generate their own electricity, including Kilembe Mines and Kasese Cobalt Ltd. As of 2010, the transmission network of the country consisted of 1,161.6 km of 132 kV lines, with the distribution network operating at 33 kV.

Renewable energy potential

Solar energyUganda has an average of 5-6 kWh/m2/day of solar insolation, with an average of 8 sunshine hours per day, yearly, indicating an excellent potential for solar energy use.  Solar energy is currently used primarily for off-grid electrification for rural communities, as well as for solar cooking, and providing water heating and power to public buildings, for example hospitals. An estimated 200 MW of potential electrical capacity are available in Uganda, and currently, a 50MW solar thermal plant, at Namugoga in Wakiso District outside of Kampala, is being investigated by a private firm, Solar Energy for Africa. Solar cooking also holds a significant potential in the country, with a large number of the population living in well-insolated areas, without access to energy services.Wind energyWind speeds are estimated to average 3-3.5 m/s, indicating a moderate potential for wind power. Studies have concluded that whilst the wind resource is insufficient for large-scale power generation, possible applications for the technology exist, for example, water pumping and small-scale power generation in mountainous areas. Small industries in rural areas, where targets for a mill range from 2.5kV to 10kV, could benefit from the wind resource. Currently, no large-scale developments are being made in the wind power sector of the country.Biomass energyBioenergy, apart from hydropower, is considered to be the second significant pillar to secure energy supply, particularly in rural areas. The transition from traditional biomass, which is often perceived as inefficient, to modern biomass and biofuel production and consumption is a main focal area of the government. Kakira Sugar Works (1985) Limited and Kinyara Sugar Limited are both licensed to generate electricity for sale to the national grid from bagasse, providing 12 MW and 5 MW respectively in 2010. Biomass cogeneration from agricultural wastes is seen to hold particular promise as a technology for the country, and a significant peat resource also exists, of which approximately 25 million tonnes is feasibly available for power generation, equivalent to 800 MW of potential capacity for 50 years. A limited program of biogas digester distribution was undertaken in the 1990s, and 50 digesters were installed in five districts in the country by 2004.Geothermal energy Uganda has an estimated geothermal resource potential of 450 MW, mainly located in the Western Rift valley part of the country (Katwe Kikorongo, Buranga and Kibiro). Feasibility studies are recommended to improve confidence in the resource and promote development.Hydropower Despite Uganda’s vast hydropower potential, estimated at 3000 MW, less than 10% is currently exploited. Bujagali, the third large hydropower plant on the Nile River is currently under construction, with an anticipated capacity of 250MW. Numerous other hydropower ventures are being investigated by both Ugandan and Japanese contractors, as well as the government. A number of small hydropower plants, with total installed capacity of slightly over 15MW, are in operation in various parts of the country, with a further 60 MW of projects in the development stage. An estimated 1,300 MW of large hydropower and 51.7 MW of small-hydro capacity are yet to be developed in Uganda.

Energy framework

The Electricity Act 1999This act enabled private participation in the electricity sector, and established the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) as the energy regulator for the country. The Act legislated for the unbundling of the former UEB into the three utility groups operating today.The National Energy Policy 2002The policy goal in the energy sector is to meet the energy needs of the Ugandan population for social and economic development in an environmentally sustainable manner. Specific objectives under the energy policy include assessing the availability and demand of energy resources in the country, improving energy service access to reduce poverty, improve governance in the energy sector and institute improved administrative procedures, and stimulate the economic development of the energy sector, whilst minimising environmental impacts.Renewable Energy Policy 2007Uganda is one of the few African countries with a clearly focussed renewable energy policy, which was published by the Ministry for Energy, Minerals and Development (MEMD) in 2007. Its objectives include increasing access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services as a contribution to poverty eradication. This comprises general public access to electricity and enhancing the modernisation of biomass conversion technologies.  The overall policy goal is:  “To increase the use of modern renewable energy, from the current 4% to 61% of the total energy consumption by the year 2017”. The Renewable Energy Policy establishes a Standardised Power Purchase Agreement and Feed-in Tariffs for renewable energy generation projects.  It introduces favourable financial and fiscal regimes for RETs, including:preferential tax treatment or tax exemption,accelerated depreciation,provision of risk mitigation mechanisms and credit enhancement instruments,credit mechanisms for renewable energy consumers.

Source
Static Source:
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    Publication date:
    Objective:

    Freely available climate and climate-related data is essential to catalyze the changes in policies, investments and technologies that will be needed if we are to move towards a climate-smart future. The Climate Change Knowledge Portal is a central hub of information, data and reports about climate change around the world. With this portal you can query, map, compare, chart and summarize key climate and climate-related information. Open data: all of the climate data featured on the Climate Change Knowledge Portal has been published as open data resources.

  • Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:
    Objective:
    Sectors:

    This issue of ETFRN News contains more than 20 wide-ranging articles on forests and climate change. The topics covered include: (1) the international policies on tropical forests under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol; (2) country-level REDD experiences; (3) different forest management practices; (4) various climate change adaptation strategies for forest sector; (5) landscape restoration practices and (6) various forest carbon business approaches.

  • Type: 
    Organisation
    Knowledge partner
    Country of registration:
    United States
    Relation to CTCN:
    Network Member
    Knowledge Partner

    The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is a research and academic type of an institution established in 1975 with the mission to provide research-based policy solutions that sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. It provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. It is a research centre of the CGIAR Consortium, a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development.

     

  • Type: 
    Organisation
    Country of registration:
    Finland
    Relation to CTCN:
    Network Member

    Gaia Consulting is a private sector consultancy firm established in 1993. Gaia has been providing solutions for sustainability to a wide range of clients from private corporations, international organisations to public institutions. Their services evolve around environment & responsibility, cleantech, innovation & finance, safety & risk management, as well as energy &climate. Gaia covers multiple sectors and service areas, particularly in energy and related sectors and business model development both on a local and global scale.

  • Type: 
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    Publication date:
    Objective:

    This report synthesizes climate change governance issues in Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Case studies assessed vulnerabilities to climate change; climate change adaptation policies, plans and strategies, and their genesis and relation to the state of national knowledge on vulnerability; the institutional actors involved in climate change policy and responses; public awareness of climate change; and the role of state and non-state actors in international climate change negotiations.

  • Type: 
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    Publication date:
    Objective:
    Sectors:

    Providing a detailed picture of the values for local people in the tropics is a difficult undertaking. Not only does this represent the difficulty in accounting for values outside formal markets, but it also reflects the multiplicity of the species involved and the many different ways in which trees are used. In these circumstances, one approach that can be used to gain insight is to focus on a narrower range of species, such as tree commodity crops commonly grown by smallholders, where more data on economic value are available.

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    Publication date:
    Objective:

    This report presents early research from a collaboration of Canadian and African researchers. It covers conflict prevention and resolution, migration, energy, health and food security. Recommendations made include calls for action at the national, regional and global levels. At the national level, increased awareness of development implications of climate and the building of climate change knowledge and capacity are recommended. Regionally, a coordinated and common African position is advocated.

  • Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:
    Objective:

    This study seeks to assess the future impacts of biofuel production on regional agricultural and related sectors with a specific focus on the vulnerable regions of developing nations. Using a modification of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) modelling platform to account for the global interactions of regional biofuel and food markets, the analysis shows that biofuel production levels depend on the assumption about the future price of energy and the nature of the substitutability between biofuels and petroleum-based transport fuels.

  • Type: 
    Organisation
    Knowledge partner
    Country of registration:
    Italy
    Relation to CTCN:
    Network Member
    Knowledge Partner

    Research and consulting on policy & market uptake actions in sustainable energy, clean tech, agriculture, waste mngt. and environment. Since 2000, wide-ranging technical assistance experience in climate change adaptation & mitigation related services, including: tech. assessments, business coaching, feasibility analysis, policy/market analysis, policy planning, M & E, partnership facilitation, finance structuring, agro-energy value chains, natural resources management, technology transfer.