UGANDA GETS FIRST HYBRID SOLAR POWER STATION ON MAIN SSESE ISLAND OF BUGALA
(Posted 10th September 2015)
Residents on Bugala Island can now officially enjoy unlimited power supply following the launch of a hybrid solar thermal power plant constructed by Kalangala Infrastructure Services, in short called KIS. The company was contracted by the government of Uganda through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to develop infrastructure on the island under four key components, a ferry connection, roads, clean water supply and a power station drawing from renewable resources.
The 1.6MW plant uses a solar thermal hybrid system to generate, transmit and distribute power throughout Bugala Island. It was officially launched by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at Bukuzindu, Mugoye sub-county, Kalangala district yesterday.
When addressing island residents who turned out in large numbers for the event, President Museveni commended KIS for spearheading and developing infrastructure on Bugala Island. He noted the power plant was part of a quadruple project that started about 10 years ago, earmarked at $50 million US Dollars and aimed to improve infrastructure on the island to provide more opportunities for economic and social development.
Speaking at the ceremony did Mr. John Opiro, the Managing Director KIS note that the company had delivered on all the four components of infrastructure development agreed upon with the government of Uganda. ‘The ferry service which consists of the MV Ssese and the MV Pearl was delivered, the water project is up and running, the road works making considerable progress and [are] soon to be completed, and now we are launching the power project which was completed early this year. The power plant, one of the most crucial projects has so far brought about change on Bugala Island. We are witnessing industrial development through the various companies that have been scouting for apt locations to favour their factories on the island and Kalangala as a whole. We are confident that with the capacity to produce 1.6MWs, the power plant can accommodate these factories and even more different business ventures which will consequently lead to more benefits such as job opportunities, an increase in tourism, eventually putting Bugala Island on a wider scope of recognition’.
The $50 million Project was only made possible through a mix of debt and equity funding from such organizations like
InfraCo UK (PIDG facility largely funded by DFID)
Uganda Development Corporation (UDC)
Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa
Nedbank
Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF)
USAID
GuarantCo
The President urged the people of Bugala Island and especially the local business community to take advantage of the new infrastructure the government has put in place to yield economic growth. He confirmed that the new main road will be upgraded further to tarmac immediately.
Construction of the hybrid power plant is among the four components KIS undertook under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Government of Uganda to develop infrastructure on Bugala Island. KIS has so delivered on three of the four components with power installation, ferry services and water supply complete, while the expansion and upgrade of the main road on Bugala Island is now at 90% completion.
The Ssese Islands are one of Uganda’s most underexploited tourism resources and only a few noteworthy small locally owned resorts have been developed over the past two decades. The availability of power however is seen as a game changer, relieving these small hotels and resorts of the need to run generators either around the clock or overnight. Said a regular commentator on tourism affairs in Uganda: ‘This is now the time to think about investing on the main island of Bugala in a decent resort with all the trimmings tourists expect. It is easy now to get there by road via Masaka and then using the ferry. Government should supplement this by offering a reliable service out of the Entebbe pier. That would further encourage investors to put up good hotels and visitors to travel there when they are in Uganda. The Ssese islands are offering so much. Birdwatching, fishing, sandy beaches but there are also monkeys and other small game. The islands have remnants of tropical rain forest which can be opened up by trails so visitors can hike through, giving employment to local guides’.
The success of this unique Private Public Partnership can now be used as a template for other such joint ventures to bring development to areas where government alone, and private sector alone, would otherwise struggle to inject enough vision and funding into an area with promise and opportunities for investors. For added information on Destination Uganda click on www.visituganda.com or else see www.ugandawildlife.org
