Access To Develop Uganda’s First Solar Power Plant
Dubai, UAE: Access Power MEA ('Access'), a power project developer focused on the Middle East and Africa, has been awarded the contract to develop Uganda's first solar power plant. Through its subsidiary Access Uganda Solar Limited the company will build, own and operate the 10 MWp solar photovoltaic (“PV”) facility in Soroti, Northeastern Uganda. Once complete, the plant will generate over 18 million KWh per year, providing sustainable energy for more than 40,000 Ugandan households.
Following a competitive bidding process during which 7 offers were received, the project proposed by Access has been selected to benefit from the GET FiT Solar Facility, a dedicated support scheme for solar PV developments managed by KfW the German Development Bank on behalf of the Ugandan Government and funded by the European Union Infrastructure Trust Fund.
Commenting on the project, Reda El Chaar, Chairman of Access Power MEA, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to thousands of households in Uganda. The GET FiT program is a fine practical example of additionality that accelerates private investment into a sector with high developmental impact.”
Stephane Bontemps, Managing Director of Access Power MEA said: “The US$17 million project will be the largest solar Independent Power Project in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa. The project is expected to reach financial close in June 2015 and commence commercial operations by December 2015. The tariff for the project over the period of 20 years will be USDc 16.38per kWh. However, the end users in Uganda will only pay USDc 11 per kWh through the electricity tariff while the remaining cost will be paid by the GET FiT Solar Facility.”
About Access
Access Power MEA ('Access') was founded in 2012 with the aim of becoming a leading developer of power assets in the Middle East and Africa. Access has assembled a development team with a track record of financially closing ~30 GW of power projects across the globe with a specific focus on the MEA region. Access is developing a portfolio of power assets in Africa through its subsidiary Access Infra Africa (AIA). Today, AIA is actively seeking the development of a portfolio of renewable energy projects in 15 Africa countries. AIA is technology agnostic and focuses on developing affordable and sustainable power assets.
For more information visit www.access-advisory.com
About ERA
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) is mandated by the Electricity Act, 1999 to regulate the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, export and import of electrical energy in Uganda. ERA recognizes that the future of Uganda's electricity sector lies in the integration of least-cost renewable energy sources into the generation mix. The organisation is therefore committed to continued collaboration with Development Partners and key Government institutions to promote the development and uptake of renewable energy in Uganda.
About Get FiT Program Uganda
The main purpose of GET FiT Program Uganda (GET FiT) is to fast-track a portfolio of up to 20 small-scale renewable energy generation projects (1 MW – 20 MW) promoted by private developers with a total installed capacity of roughly 170 – 180 MW/ 800 GWh per annum. So far, GET FiT has approved 14 projects (hydro, biomass, bagasse, solar) with an accumulated 103 MW. With five projects expecting financial close and ground-breaking in the first half of 2015 and another 15 projects in the pipeline, GET FiT has become a front-runner in Sub-Saharan Africa for financial support of small-scale renewable energy projects and for attraction of private finance into the domestic energy sector.