Dubai-based Access Power will further its reach by developing a US$19 million solar project in Uganda to help provide reliable energy to 40,000 homes.
Access, through its partnership with French firm Eren Renewable Energy, will build a 10 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Soroti, about 300 kilometres north of the capital, Kampala.
The project will come online in July, marking the first project in the company’s strategy to target more solar and wind projects across the African continent.
About 80 per cent of Uganda’s population lives in rural areas. The country is working to address its low electrification rate which totals around 7 per cent of people in rural areas having access to reliable electricity, according to the African Development Bank.
Another issue that plagues the country is that out of the 810MW of installed capacity, the majority of the electricity is generated from hydropower which poses a problem during dry seasons.
The Dubai company has $500m in assets under development and operates in more than 15 countries in the Middle East and Africa.
lgraves@thenational.ae
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