A new project aimed at increasing access to electricity for households, industrial parks, refugee and communities, commercial enterprises and public institutions has been designed and set for implementation.
The project dubbed ‘Uganda Energy Access Scale-Up Project’ (EASP) is to be implemented by the ministry for Energy and Mineral Development with support from the World Bank.
The funding under EASP project will be implemented by the ministry and will go toward implementing infrastructure and connections under the new Electricity Connections Policy (ECP).
Already, according to the ministry headed by minister Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa and Permanent Secretary Irene Bateebe, World Bank has provided funding to go towards the implementation of the proposed EASP.
The ministry says EASP activities will build on the existing government initiatives in the energy sector to support the expansion and strengthening of the electricity distribution network, scale up service connections within the network in addition to increasing access to off-grid electricity in refugee settlements and their host communities and to clean cooking service outside the electricity distribution network.
“EASP will also provide technical assistance to strengthen the operational capacity of the Health, Safety and Environment Unit (HSEU) at the ministry and build capacities for other implementing agencies to ensure compliance with HSEU requirements under the project” the ministry says adding that technical assistance will also be provided to Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to attract the private sector and enable it’s participation in increasing electricity access both in grid and off-grid areas.
The ministry adds that EASP will support Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to mitigate climate change through a number of priority and adaptation measures which include building enabling infrastructure such as medium voltage (MV), and Low Voltage (LV) networks, implementing associated electricity service connections, promoting the development and use of renewable energy sources to benefit households, public institutions such as schools, health centers, Administrative buildings and water supply schemes.
This comes at a time when ERA has embarked on a project aimed at saving the environment by encouraging people to cook with electricity under a lower tariff arrangement.
