Energy and Minerals Sector Performance Report 2020

The Energy and Mineral Development Sector has made significant progress towards the achievement of the National Development Objectives as spelt out in the National Development Plan and in the NRM Manifesto 2016 – 2021, although several delays have been registered due to the COVID-19 global pandemic that has greatly restricted operations and implementation of projects within the sector.

In the Power Subsector, a number of electricity generation projects spearheaded by both the public and the private sector have been completed and commissioned while others are under implementation. Government is expanding the Power Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure through the construction of the transmission lines and the substation projects. The potential of generating power from solar, wind and geothermal energy resources is also being promoted to diversify the energy mix and increase the proportion of renewables.

In the oil and gas subsector, the process of commercialization of oil and gas resources is being undertaken with the issuance of production licenses and the rollout of the second licensing round which closes on 30th September 2020. The lead refinery investor was identified and the Front-End Engineering Designs are ongoing in Milan, Italy. Discussions on the Host Government Agreement between Government and EACOP are nearing finalization. Download file

Grid Expansion and Reinforcement Project (GERP)

In order to drive economic development, the Government of Uganda (GOU) has identified key focus areas in the Energy Sector in the National Development Plan (NDP) II. This includes increasing power generation, expanding the electricity transmission and distribution grid networks, increasing energy efficiency, promoting the use of alternative sources of energy, and strengthening the policy, legal and institutional framework.

Uganda's second Oil and Gas licensing round

The country’s second oil and gas licensing round for the exploration of five blocks in the Albertine Graben – Uganda – aims to increase international investment into Uganda’s oil rich energy sector, with government expecting to sign Production Sharing Agreements and  issue exploration licenses to successful firms by December 2020.

The second licensing round is driven by factors including the establishment of additional petroleum resources and reserves, the current high price of crude oil, interest in investing in the country’s oil and gas sector, a conducive investment climate and minimal geological and commercial risk. Download file

ADDENDUM TO NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION

All interested parties and registered applicants for the Second Licensing Round are hereby informed of postponement of the closing date for the receipt of Applications in the Request for Qualification (RfQ) Download file

Uganda Energy Access Scale-Up Project (EASP)

The Government of Uganda (GoU), with support from the World Bank, is preparing the Uganda Energy Access Scale-up Project (EASP).  The proposed EASP will support GoU’s efforts to scale-up access to electricity for households, refugee and host communities, industrial parks, commercial enterprises and public institutions, so as to spur socio-economic transformation, in line with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and other Government policies.   EASP activities will build on earlier Government initiatives, in the energy sector, to support the expansion and strengthening of the electricity distribution network, scale-up service connections within the network, and increase access to off-grid electricity in refugee settlements and their host communities, and to clean cooking services outside the electricity distribution network. Read more