France to Support Kiira-Nalubaale Power Dam Rehabilitation

The French government has pledged to support the rehabilitation of the Kiira-Nalubaale power dams.The initiative backed by the European Union is expected to attract

The two dams with a joint capacity of about 380 MW have aged and need rehabilitating if they are to push on for the next decades. 

Xavier Sticker, the Ambassador of France to Uganda said the French government through the European Union is in negotiations aimed at rehabilitating the two dams if they are to serve Uganda for the next 70 years. 

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The projects being funded by a 75-million Euro loan are expected to kick off by mid-2025. They are funded by the French in support of the European Union.

Experts from France together with officials from the French Embassy and the Ministry of Energy visited the two power stations last week.

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Ambassador Sticker says that apart from support towards the Kiira and Nalubale dams, the French and German governments will fund the extension of a high-voltage line between Masaka and Mbarara. Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and KFW, a German state-owned investment and development bank, will provide funding for the project. 

The total investment for the project is estimated at sixty million euros. He said once complete, the project will ensure that the country is better connected to the grid. “And ultimately, it will reach one of its goals. Which is to also be connected to the wider region,” he said. 

Ambassador Xavier Sticker was among the European Union diplomats who graced the Renewable Energy Conference held at Speke Resort Munyonyo.   

The annual conference brought together various players in the energy sectors who among other areas discussed how to distribute and scale up the uptake of clean energy solutions.    

While Ambassador Sticker hailed Uganda for “great strides towards the attainment of energy access for all Ugandans”, he emphasized the need to distribute the electricity to the last mile-users. 

It is estimated that as of December 2022, installed electricity capacity in Uganda was 1,402 megawatts (MW) with demand at 843 MW, leaving a surplus of 559 MW. The figures do not include the recent connection of the 600MW from the Karuma power dam.  

It is further estimated that 22% of Ugandans have access to the electricity grid, while 38% have access to off-grid solutions.    

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/ He said the French Development Agency will provide 42 million euros on top of an eight million euro grant from the European Union aimed at rural electrification. Feasibility studies for this component of the support already.

The grant aspect of the funding is to enable two hundred thousand Ugandans to have access to electricity. The less privileged are the targeted.

“Our partnership on energy is also about policies and how to adapt to the challenges brought about by climate change,” said Sticker. “We are studying ways to say that policies are adopted to the challenges of climate change” he added.  

Support to Uganda Nuclear Ambition   

According to the World Nuclear Association, France is the world's largest net exporter of electricity due to its very low cost of generation and gains over €3 billion per year from this.   

Francederives about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, due to a long-standing policy based on energy security. Now the French government is further committing to help Uganda attain its goals in terms of deploying atoms for energy or nuclear energy.   

Ambassador Sticker said his country has immense expertise and experience in nuclear with its 56 nuclear reactors providing 70% of the electricity of its energy mix.

   He said the Energy Mineral Development Minister, Ruth Nankabirwa is expected in France this month to discuss possible collaboration in the nuclear energy sector with the French Atomic Energy Commission.