Commentary
Energy diversification will solve our power crisis
By Bwesigye Don Binyina
Posted Monday, March 7 2011 at 00:00
In December 2010, Eskom Uganda Limited was producing a maximum of
217MW as opposed to its installed capacity of 380 MW; this has
drastically reduced to 205 MW in February 2011 due to prolonged
droughts which the meteorological centre predicts will continue. The
current energy demand is at approximately between 365MW and 375 MW,
but both Eskom and independent power producers can only supply only
305 MW to the grid. The electricity deficit of 90-95MW has led to
increased load shedding reminiscent of the power crisis in 2006.
The current national development on energy is lopsided because it only
focuses on building of large power dams as a solution to the country�s
energy crisis. Unless the government implements the Energy Act,
invests in other renewable sources of energy like, geothermal, peat,
wind and solar energy, we are headed for disaster. The current global
warming and climate change with minimal rains suggest that all the
current large hydro power dams being constructed are not sustainable
and only a recipe for disaster. These dams will be shut down leaving
the country with no alternative source of energy, yet all this could
be avoided by early planning.
In Tanzania, the authorities are planning to shut down major hydro
plants which were meant to produce 562MW in full operation but are
only producing 180MW because the water levels are dropping rapidly at
a rate of 3cm every day. The same situation is happening here in
Uganda with the Lake Victoria waters reportedly dropping every day.
The current power crisis is likely to lead to closure of industries
and factories, hamper rural electrification and halt health
infrastructure and amenities development in rural communities.
The political instability and vacuum in North Africa could threaten
energy security and the proposed power projects along the Nile if
radical Islamists assume power in Egypt which has for long been
opposed to downstream control and access over the Nile waters.
Egyptian born former UN Secretary General, Boutros Boutros -Ghali,
once predicted that the next world war would be over the Nile waters
and WikiLeaks recently revealed how former Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak once considered use of force against upstream countries in
protection of its historical interests over the Nile. This explains
why the revised Nile River Cooperative Framework pact remains unsigned
by Egypt and Sudan.
This impasse between upstream and downstream countries over the Nile
waters, political instability in North Africa, unsustainable large
power dams along the Nile River, global warming and climate change and
the current power crisis in Uganda and Tanzania, should be evidence
enough to the Government of Uganda, the Ministry of Energy, World Bank
and African Development Bank that the time is now to revisit the
energy policy and legal framework in Uganda.
Promote energy diversification investment in the development of
alternative and sustainable use of renewable energy sources. Only then
can we avert the looming energy crisis in Uganda.
Mr Bwesigye is a mining, energy & natural resources advocate
donbinyina@yahoo.com
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