It is reported that President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has expressed his willingness to collaborate with the government of Algeria to develop the energy sector in Uganda. A delegation from Algeria, led by their Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr. Mohamed Arkab, visited President Museveni at State House Entebbe to follow up on a memorandum of understanding signed during President Museveni’s visit to Algeria in March 2023.
The discussions between the energy ministries of both countries focused on collaboration and partnerships in several areas, including the development of an oil refinery, financing for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, and electricity generation. President Museveni emphasized that the East African crude oil pipeline would not only benefit Uganda but also the region as a whole, as it would transport petroleum from Congo and Tanzania, demonstrating a Pan-African spirit.
Regarding electricity generation, President Museveni expressed the need for support in solar power, wind power, geothermal energy, and nuclear energy to achieve Uganda’s target of 52,000 megawatts by 2050. He welcomed any collaboration that would enhance Uganda’s capacity in these areas.
The Algerian delegation and Uganda’s Energy Ministry also discussed the possibility of partnering with the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) to develop the Kasurubani block near the central processing facility being constructed at Tilenga. The Algerian partnership was seen as an opportunity for an African government to support another African government in light of challenges faced by the petroleum sector, such as banks withdrawing support for development projects.
Uganda’s Energy Minister, Ruth Nankabirwa, informed President Museveni about the need for support in establishing a transmission line that would enable Uganda to trade with South Sudan. The Algerian partnership was seen as beneficial in this regard as well.
In addition to energy cooperation, President Museveni expressed his satisfaction with Algeria’s decision to allow Uganda to export milk to their country. Negotiations with Ugandan milk processing companies were reportedly underway.
The Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr. Mohamed Arkab, expressed gratitude to President Museveni for accepting Algeria’s offer to collaborate in the energy sector. He described the engagement with Uganda’s energy ministry as fruitful and stated that technical teams would be dispatched to Uganda in June to further work on the commitments made during the visit.
Source: capitalradio
