BY AMBROSE GAHENE
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is encouraging Ugandans to embrace use of renewable clean energy to save environment degradation through use of the Charcoal to Power Initiative (CPI).
Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, said this initiative is aimed at promoting modern energy services for cooking among Ugandans.
While making a ministerial statement about the status of the energy sector this week, Ms Nankabirwa said improved wood stoves, charcoal stoves, institutional and household stoves, baking ovens, kilns (lime, charcoal, and bricks), casamance, and household biogas systems have already been promoted, demonstrated and disseminated in different parts of the country for Ugandans to embrace the sustainable use of clean -energy sources for social, environmental, and economic benefits.
She said her ministry is now pushing for modern energy services such as improved stoves, sustainably produced charcoal, ethanol for cooking (EFC), solar water heaters, fuel wood substitution by (LPG), waste to energy programme, and biofuels, among others.
“Under the Energy for Rural Transformation Programme phase II and phase III, we have had over 100 schools (89 yet to go), 829 Health Centres (with 117 yet to go) and 71 water pumping stations across the country electrified,” Ms Nankabirwa said.
She added that the ministry has supported the repair of windmills for water pumping in the Karamoja sub-region, and the installation of pilot small wind turbines in schools and communities (Kotido, Napak, Namayingo and Kaberamaido). This is in addition to the licensed 20MW wind power plant soon to start construction.
Some of the clean energy projects the ministry has supported include Pico Hydro (Kasese), Solar Mini Grids (Lamwo, Isingiro, Buvuma, Kasese and Rubirizi, and the Albertine region), Solar food dryers (Kayunga and Luweero), Solar coffee dryers (Kasese); Solar Street lights (Tororo, Busia, Mukono, Buikwe, Bushenyi and Manafa).
