Museveni warns Africa over energy strategies
Nov 26, 2008
Africa needs to diversify and use alternative sources of energy to attract investments and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), President Yoweri Museveni has said.
By Ibrahim Kasita
in Entebbe
Africa needs to diversify and use alternative sources of energy to attract investments and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), President Yoweri Museveni has said.
“If we don’t develop electricity facilities, how shall we achieve the MDGs?†he asked. “Electricity together with transport will lower the cost of doing business and open investment opportunities.â€
The millennium goals, which must be achived by 2015, include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, and reducing child mortality.
Others are improving maternal health, combating AIDS and malaria, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing global partnership for development.
“We can use hot springs to generate electricity,†Museveni said. “The African Rift Valley system has a potential to generate about 14,000MW from geothermal which is small but it is better than nothing.â€
He was speaking yesterday at the closure of the 2nd African Geothermal Conference held at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe.
Africa consumes about 492 kilowatt hour per capita compared to the US which consumes 7,700 and the European Union with over 3,000 kilowatt hour per capita, Museveni said.
“This is very small,†he argued. Instead, he called for use all of renewable energy resources to ensure energy for economic development. He said Uganda was building more dams along the Nile despite donor criticism and interference. “I can no longer listen to anybody as far as electricity is concerned.â€
“We created the energy fund which will enable us enter a public private partnership to co-fund energy projects,†said Museveni.
He said this approach would apply to Karuma power project. “We don’t want any delays and we are determined to have more power.â€
To promote geothermal, Museveni explained, the Government had intervened by reducing geological risks, agreed on a standard power purchase agreements and created a conducive environment for private sector participation.
“That will make the business environment predictable, and fasten negotiations with the private sector and bring down the transaction costs,†he said.
He said geothermal pre-feasibility studies would take place in Katwe, Kibiro and Buranga, at $45m.
Daudi Migereko, the minister of energy and mineral development, said the conference attracted over 200 scientists from 30 countries around the world.
Unlike other energy sources, he said, geothermal energy was available all year and was reliable.
The initiative aims at developing geothermal energy resources in East Africa. Participating countries are Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is supported by the UN, the World Bank, Iceland, Italy, the US and Germany.
in Entebbe
Africa needs to diversify and use alternative sources of energy to attract investments and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), President Yoweri Museveni has said.
“If we don’t develop electricity facilities, how shall we achieve the MDGs?†he asked. “Electricity together with transport will lower the cost of doing business and open investment opportunities.â€
The millennium goals, which must be achived by 2015, include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, and reducing child mortality.
Others are improving maternal health, combating AIDS and malaria, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing global partnership for development.
“We can use hot springs to generate electricity,†Museveni said. “The African Rift Valley system has a potential to generate about 14,000MW from geothermal which is small but it is better than nothing.â€
He was speaking yesterday at the closure of the 2nd African Geothermal Conference held at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe.
Africa consumes about 492 kilowatt hour per capita compared to the US which consumes 7,700 and the European Union with over 3,000 kilowatt hour per capita, Museveni said.
“This is very small,†he argued. Instead, he called for use all of renewable energy resources to ensure energy for economic development. He said Uganda was building more dams along the Nile despite donor criticism and interference. “I can no longer listen to anybody as far as electricity is concerned.â€
“We created the energy fund which will enable us enter a public private partnership to co-fund energy projects,†said Museveni.
He said this approach would apply to Karuma power project. “We don’t want any delays and we are determined to have more power.â€
To promote geothermal, Museveni explained, the Government had intervened by reducing geological risks, agreed on a standard power purchase agreements and created a conducive environment for private sector participation.
“That will make the business environment predictable, and fasten negotiations with the private sector and bring down the transaction costs,†he said.
He said geothermal pre-feasibility studies would take place in Katwe, Kibiro and Buranga, at $45m.
Daudi Migereko, the minister of energy and mineral development, said the conference attracted over 200 scientists from 30 countries around the world.
Unlike other energy sources, he said, geothermal energy was available all year and was reliable.
The initiative aims at developing geothermal energy resources in East Africa. Participating countries are Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is supported by the UN, the World Bank, Iceland, Italy, the US and Germany.