Eren, Access to start building 10-MW solar plant in Uganda

France's Eren Renewable Energy (Eren RE) and Dubai-based Access Infra Africa will next month start construction of a 10-MW solar park in Uganda, the largest solar project in East Africa, the two said today.

This is the first solar power plant successfully developed under the GET FiT support scheme for renewable energy projects, which is managed by Germany's KfW Development Bank in partnership with Uganda's government.

The plant, developed by Eren RE and Access Infra Africa -- a joint vehicle of Dubai-based Access Power MEA and Eren, -- reached financial close within just four months of the signing of the power purchase agreement (PPA). According to the announcement, the USD-19-million (EUR 17m) project is the largest privately funded solar power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa. It was financed by a mix of debt and equity with the senior debt facility being provided by FMO, the Netherlands development bank, and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF).

The plant will be built in Soroti and is expected to be connected to the national grid in July. It will provide energy to 40,000 homes in the area.

Uganda, which has rich solar resources, currently has about 800 MW of installed electric capacity mostly from hydro and thermal sources and an electrification rate of 18.2%, the companies said, citing World Bank data.

It was announced in December 2014 that Access Uganda Solar Ltd has won the bid to develop the 10-MW solar power facility.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.899)

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