By Mark Kawalya
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with French-based power producer Hydrogène de France (HDF Energy) to kickstart the development of Uganda’s first green hydrogen power plant.
The MoU was signed at the 27th United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27), which was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6th–18th. HDF Energy wants to be involved in the development of the green hydrogen project that is projected to supply the country with year-round electricity, curbing intermittency challenges. This will be achieved by the application of long-term hydrogen storage.
HDF Energy will deploy its pioneering hydrogen power plant technology, which combines a central source of renewable energy with robust hydrogen storage capabilities to generate dispatchable green baseload electricity. Once harnessed, the project has the power to enable the move from diesel-fired power generation to cleaner fuel sources due to the project’s predominant use of water and solar to generate electricity.
“On behalf of my government, we would like to thank HDF for the initiative taken. For a long time now, Uganda has been talking about green hydrogen. With our energy mix, we want to tap into all the energy sources we have. I am convinced that this technology will provide opportunities for our people. We are open and we will work with HDF Energy to bring green energy closer to home,” Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, said after signing the MoU with HDF Energy.
The green hydrogen power generation project aligns with Uganda’s developmental agenda, which seeks to integrate ambitious energy transition components. With the project, HDF Energy will develop skilling initiatives and drive capacity building in the country, as well as be a source of job opportunities for Ugandans. The company, which is based in Gironde, France, seeks to build its first Renewstable® power plant in Uganda in the next few years.
Power Africa places Uganda’s current installed capacity at 1,291 MW, with the country seeking to boost its energy production to meet the energy needs of its industries and the local population’s consumption needs.
