The agreement was signed by Dr. Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Uganda’s Minister of Energy, and Nicolas Lecomte, HDF’s Director for Southern and East Africa, at the recently concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt.
According to the deal, HDF will build Uganda’s first Renewable® power station. A Renewstable® power plant is a greener alternative to a traditional diesel power plant because it only uses solar energy and water to produce stable electricity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and noise. It works by combining a photovoltaic plant and mass energy storage through a hydrogen chain.
The proposed first non-intermittent renewable energy power plant using hydrogen technology in Uganda is set to provide year-round supply for the equivalent of 24 hours a day and prefigures the future of renewable energies by eliminating their intermittency through hydrogen long term energy storage.
“The novelty of the Renewstable® power plant is such that political support is paramount to enable a first project, and the reforms to be conducted. Our cooperation with the Ministry on a first project in Uganda aims at, amongst other objectives, working jointly on a practical case to inform the local regulation, as well as creating an enabling environment and skills in Uganda for the green hydrogen industry.” says Nicolas Lecomte, HDF’s Director for Southern and East Africa.
The agreement will help Uganda realise its aspiration to advance green hydrogen development and capture domestic opportunities, in particular, through green power generation using hydrogen-based storage, as an alternative source of electricity.
“On behalf of my government, we would like to thank HDF for the initiative taken. Uganda has been talking about green hydrogen for a long time, with our energy mix, we want to capture whatever energy source we have. I know the technology will come with an opportunity for our people. We are open and will work with HDF, the entire region is going to be transformed.” remarked Dr. Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development.
