Electricity from bagasse expected in 2015
Jun 24, 2010
THE factories of Kakira, Lugazi and Kinyara are expected to produce about 50 mega watts of electricity by the year 2015.
By Joseph Wanzusi
THE factories of Kakira, Lugazi and Kinyara are expected to produce about 50 mega watts of electricity by the year 2015.
Benon Mutambi, from the Electricity Regulatory Authority, said the current power generation in the country has not matched the demand.
He was speaking at a one-day regional symposium for journalists at the Mt. Elgon Hotel in Mbale town on Tuesday.
Mutambi said the Government had taken steps to address this challenge by investing in power generation with the construction of Bujagali and Karuma hydro-power stations and licensing private investors in the energy sector.
He said the installed electricity capacity in the country was 591 mega watts while the operational capacity stood at 361 mega watts, this year.
This serves over 340,000 connected consumers, Mutambi said, adding that system power losses were still at un-acceptable levels.
He further said there was need to interconnect effectively with neighbouring countries on the eastern Africa power pool.
This, he said, would enable Ugandans to access cheap power when locally produced electricity becomes expensive and sell electricity when local supply hikes for our neighbours.
On Umeme’s performance, Mutambi said the power distributing company had performed below expectations on distribution, power loss reduction which is at 29%, network expansion, billing, connection and customer care.
He noted that the public was yet to know the different operations of the three companies of Uganda Electricity Generation Company, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company.
The latter was created out of Uganda Electricity Board to improve on the service delivery of the power companiess.
Mutambi said the Electricity Regulatory Authority was studying the merits and demerits of a proposal submitted by Umeme to introduce a flat electricity tariff.
He added that the Government pays sh150m per month as a subsidy for domestic power consumed.
THE factories of Kakira, Lugazi and Kinyara are expected to produce about 50 mega watts of electricity by the year 2015.
Benon Mutambi, from the Electricity Regulatory Authority, said the current power generation in the country has not matched the demand.
He was speaking at a one-day regional symposium for journalists at the Mt. Elgon Hotel in Mbale town on Tuesday.
Mutambi said the Government had taken steps to address this challenge by investing in power generation with the construction of Bujagali and Karuma hydro-power stations and licensing private investors in the energy sector.
He said the installed electricity capacity in the country was 591 mega watts while the operational capacity stood at 361 mega watts, this year.
This serves over 340,000 connected consumers, Mutambi said, adding that system power losses were still at un-acceptable levels.
He further said there was need to interconnect effectively with neighbouring countries on the eastern Africa power pool.
This, he said, would enable Ugandans to access cheap power when locally produced electricity becomes expensive and sell electricity when local supply hikes for our neighbours.
On Umeme’s performance, Mutambi said the power distributing company had performed below expectations on distribution, power loss reduction which is at 29%, network expansion, billing, connection and customer care.
He noted that the public was yet to know the different operations of the three companies of Uganda Electricity Generation Company, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company.
The latter was created out of Uganda Electricity Board to improve on the service delivery of the power companiess.
Mutambi said the Electricity Regulatory Authority was studying the merits and demerits of a proposal submitted by Umeme to introduce a flat electricity tariff.
He added that the Government pays sh150m per month as a subsidy for domestic power consumed.