Govt, Total add renewable energy projects to oil deal

The MoU sets stage for collaboration between Uganda and the French oil company towards ensuring energy security and transition through deployment of large scale renewable energy development projects.

The clean energy projects targeted include geothermal, battery storage (grid stability), wind energy, solar, and hydrogen, which can be produced from a variety of sources such as nuclear and natural gas, and when developed and consumed as a fuel, produces only water.

Energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa, who is currently in Italy for discussions with Saipem executives on the greenfield 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery, signed on behalf of government while the TotalEnergies EP general manager, Mr Philippe Groueix, signed on behalf of the French oil company.

“So the main objective is to advance renewable energy technologies through identification of areas for collaborative research such as solar, both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power,” Ms Batebe said.

Photovoltaic solar uses devices to generate electricity directly from sunlight through an electronic process using semi-conductors, while concentrated solar power uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto receivers which produce steam to generate electricity.

The plan, according to the MoU, is to generate some 1gigawatt of energy by 2030. A gigawatt is equal to 1,000 megawatts.

Uganda currently has an installed electricity generation capacity of 1,182.2 megawatts largely from hydropower dams. 

Of these, 813 megawatts is from large hydropower dams such as the recently commissioned Isimba dam with an installed capacity of 183megawatss, Bujjagali with a plant capacity of 250 megawatts, and Nalubaale and Kiira dams with a combined capacity of 380 megawatts.

Another 119.45megawatts is generated by mini hydro dams on various rivers around the country.

Another 101 megawatts are generated from thermal plants, 96 megawatts from bagasse, and 50.83 megawatts from solar.

However, despite the large generation capacity average peak demand for electricity averages around 630 megawatts, leaving more than 552 megawatts unconsumed.

When the troubled 600megawatts Karuma dam, that is due for completion later in June, is commissioned generation capacity will climb to 1,782megawatts.

The Auditor General John Muwanga’s report submitted to Parliament yesterday details that the dam has suffered a delay of three years and half months from the initial planned completion date due to unfinished works such as the spillway rehabilitation and other minor defects.

In response to our inquiries, the TotalEnergies EP’s communications manager, Ms Anita Kayongo, said the MoU lays foundation to implement multi-energy strategy in Uganda and contribute to people’s access to energy.

“The key areas for investment will be jointly defined in due course with the guidance of ministry of Energy,” Ms Kayongo said.

The French oil giant early last year announced change of name from Total SA (trading in Uganda as Total E&P B.V) to TotalEnergies, which company executives said is part of the company’s “strategic transformation into a multi-energy company”—from fossil fuels (oil and gas) to clean energy options.

Ms Kayongo added: “What this means is that while oil and gas remains at the core of our activities, we will be actively pursuing investments in natural gas, renewables and electricity, biomass and hydrogen.”

Available research indicates that the burning of fossil fuels—oil production— releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, one the causes of climate change. 

As such, civil society organisations and environmentalists world over have been decampaigning oil projects, including Uganda’s.

The fossil fuels versus climate change debate is one of the most polarising in the world today, one that has divided countries over what actions needs to be taken.

TotalEnergies SE, the parent company of TotalEnergies EP licensed to operate in Uganda, however defends that development of its Tilenga oil project in Nwoya and Buliisa districts, respectively, and the proposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) saying it is in line with the company’s strategy “of only approving new projects if they are low-cost and low emissions.

Measures

“In particular, the design of the facilities incorporates several measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions well below 20 kg Carbon dioxide, including the extraction of liquefied petroleum gas for use in regional markets as a substitute for burning biomass,” TotalEnergies SE detailed in a statement released on Tuesday from its headquarters in Paris.

In the statement, the company also mentioned solarisation of the EACOP pipeline as opposed to running an electricity transmission line along the duct to heat the pipeline for the waxy crude oil to flow through with ease from Hoima to Tanga Port in Tanzania.

The government’s policy blue print, the Vision 2040, charts a plan to exploit the country’s water resources and develop all the hydro-power potential, which is estimated at 4,500megawatts along the various rivers.

The required electricity capacity will also be generated from other areas such as, geo-thermal—1,500megawatts: nuclear—2,4000megawatts: solar—5,000 megawatts: peat—800 megawatts: biomass—1,700 megawatts: and thermal—4,300 megawatts.

“The source of energy and its contribution will be determined after detailed feasibility studies of energy mix,” the Vision 2040 document reads in part.

Environment concerns

Available research indicates that the burning of fossil fuels—oil production— releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, one the causes of climate change. 

As such, civil society organisations and environmentalists world over have been decampaigning oil projects, including Uganda’s. The fossil fuels versus climate change debate is one of the most polarising in the world today, one that has divided countries over what actions needs to be taken.

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