EAIF invests US $10.6M in Serengeti Energy

The Private Infrastructure Development Group’s (PIDG) Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) has provided a US $10.6M loan to Serengeti Energy, the developer of the Nyamwamba ll 7.8MW run-of-the-river hydroelectricity plant.

The inked deal is under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement that will see all the energy produced by the plant sent to Uganda’s national grid.  Nyamwamba is located in the Kasese District of Western Uganda. It is part is of a regional electricity generation and supply industry proving power for manufacturing, agriculture, homes and public services.

READ;AfDB to support Mphanda Nkuwa Mega Hydroelectric Project

“EAIF’s loan allows us to unlock and redeploy our construction equity capital in the funding of other greenfield renewable energy plants in Sub-Sahara Africa. We would like to appreciate EAIF in supporting this project and as such our mandate to develop, construct and operate small to medium sized renewable energy projects that builds capacity, improves reliability and contributes to Africa’s sustainable economic development,” Wilfred van den Bos, Serengeti Energy’s Development Director, said.

The project’s design, construction and installation was done by SAEMS Hydro from Uganda, with Andritz Hydro of Germany as the Electromechanical supplier. EAIF is the sole lender on this transaction. Construction was initiated using equity to expedite project delivery.

EAIF’s loan will make the project more financially sustainable and deliver long-term impact. Serengeti Energy’s new project brings to 10 the number of hydro and solar green energy plants EAIF has backed in Uganda. The new plant began producing electricity earlier this year. The project includes a 5.5km transmission line that delivers the plant’s output to the regional grid.

According to statistics, just 3 in 10 people in rural Uganda have access to electricity. The Nyamwamba project will support Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13 by improving access to electricity for thousands of grid-connected users, while minimising emissions. With the government’s plans to set up an industrial park in Kasese district, focussed on food and raw materials processing, energy demand will increase from between 50 and 100MW.

Sumit Kanodia, Investment Director at EAIF’s managers, Ninety One, said: “PIDG and EAIF are delighted to support yet another renewable energy project in Uganda. Nyamwamba ll will deliver green energy that will stimulate economic activity in a rural region, unlock supressed demand for power, reduce transmission losses and improve the stability of Uganda’s electricity grid.”