News Of GL Africa Energy

Great Lakes Africa Energy celebrates 7th anniversary with new project to power 5 million Ugandans with Kabulasoke solar development

• The Solar plant at Kabulasoke will be the first of its kind and size in East Africa.
• Set on more than 130 acres of land.
• Project will serve more than five million Ugandans
• GLAE forging ahead as one of Africa’s leading renewable energy providers
• Project features state of the art technology on both DC and AC power sides with Ten 2.2MW inverters
• More than 68,000 highly efficient poly crystalline solar modules installed.
• Carbon Emission reduced significantly with 18 trees per MW annually saved

NAIROBI - Great Lakes Africa Energy (GLAE) a United Kingdom registered, sub-Sahara focused energy solutions provider, celebrates its seventh anniversary today with the development completion of a US$ 25million solar power generating plant in Uganda.

Once officially commissioned, the Kabulasoke project, which is already connected to the national grid will serve a population of more than 5million in rural Uganda, who currently rely on kerosene; among other non-renewable energy sources while affording more than 21,000 tons of carbon savings.

Acting as the lead financial and technical investor, GLAE is part of a development consortium comprising of Uganda’s Xsabo Power Limited which has been working to deliver the 24MW Kabulasoke Solar Power Park in conjunction with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited.

With the official commissioning of the Kabulasoke Solar Power Park, which is the first of its kind in the East Africa region, Uganda will be making a huge leap towards enhancing its renewable energy capacity and credentials as a renewable energy producer on the world stage.

Keeping to its corporate reputation on projects delivery and as part of GLAE’s corporate development plans in the continent, the on-schedule completion of the 24MW Kabulasoke Solar Power Park, comes hot on the heels of the firm’s recent partnership with the Government of Mozambique.

The partnership will see the development of a natural gas fired electric power generating plant at an estimated value of US $400million. As part of the agreement signed last May, GLAE (which also operates a 105MW power plant in Zambia’s copper belt town of Ndola, under Ndola Energy Company Limited (NECL)) is set to develop, finance, own and operate the plant to be fed with natural gas supplies from Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin.

In Uganda the project development teams completed critical commissioning tests up to Christmas day, managing to achieve the project Commercial Operations Start Date (COD) ahead of the New Year.

The successful completion of the pilot commissioning tests and the achievement of a COD, in collaboration with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), now paves the way for the Kabulasoke Solar Power Park official commissioning on the Ugandan power grid for onward distribution to power consumers in the coming days.

The COD for the project, was achieved on Sunday, 30th December 2018 and duly confirmed by (UETCL), as per terms of a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Government of the Republic of Uganda.

Commenting, GLAE Director, Mr. Michael Kearns, “With the achievement of a COD milestone, we are now ready to undertake the ceremonial commissioning of the largest solar power park in East and Central Africa at the earliest opportunity”.

“The grid switching of the Kabulasoke project marks yet another milestone for GLAE alongside our other projects in Ndola Zambia and Rovuma in Mozambique, where we are providing energy solutions to power national development ideals.”

“At Great Lakes Africa Energy we are proud to be associated with the Government of Uganda, Xsabo Power Limited and the consortium partners for making this project possible. We are passionate about our mission to power the Great Lakes and Southern Africa region including Uganda, by developing and managing state-of-the-art power projects generated from the most efficient local sources of energy.”

Technically, the Kabulasoke solar power park, features Tier 1 poly crystalline solar modules with an efficiency of 17.6% which is now highest in the Industry ensuring a high energy yield. The engineering design for the project, also integrates a state of the art invertor plus power transformer solution to minimize energy losses. The GLAE Power plant design ensures less than 0.5% energy losses for the plant.

GLAE is in the process of securing additional Power Purchase Agreements in Africa and beyond and is currently screening opportunities in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo among other countries.

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About Great Lakes Africa Energy

Great Lakes Africa Energy Limited is a UK registered company that is investing in energy solutions in the Great Lakes and Southern Africa regions. GLAE’s vision is to be the total energy solutions provider of choice for the Great Lakes and Southern Africa and remain a leader in innovation and sustainability. Our corporate mission is firmly focused on powering the Great Lakes and Southern Africa region by developing and managing state-of-the-art power projects generated from the most efficient local sources of energy. Great Lakes Africa Energy (UK) owns and operates a 105MW power plant in in the Zambia’s copper belt town of Ndola, under Ndola Energy Company Limited (NECL). The company has a power purchase agreement with the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO). This power is fed directly into the Zambian national grid.