Ituka solar plant brings clean power to Uganda

AMEA Power, one of the fastest-growing renewable energy companies in Africa and the Middle East, has begun commercial operations at its 24 MWp (20 MW) Ituka solar photovoltaic plant in Uganda’s Madi Okollo District, in the north-west of the country

The project was funded by an US$18mn senior secured loan from the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF), a Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company managed by Ninety One. The plant’s 25 MVA 132/33kV substation is now active and feeds clean power straight into Uganda’s national grid.

Ituka is among the first utility-scale, grid-connected solar PV facilities in West Nile. It can supply affordable, reliable electricity to as many as 390,000 people, easing severe power shortages and helping households, public institutions and businesses cope with years of load shedding and blackouts. Its output is also expected to lower power purchase costs and cut emissions locally.

The plant supports Uganda’s goal of universal energy access by 2040, up from roughly 50% in 2022, and offers practical evidence of progress under the country’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP). It also advances the government’s aim of reducing reliance on hydropower, which makes up around 80 percent of grid capacity. Because Uganda is vulnerable to seasonal droughts and climate risks, Ituka’s solar generation will help offset hydropower’s seasonal swings. This will improve energy security and daytime grid stability, and lay the foundation for long-term industrial growth in the north-west.

The plant is the Fund’s 12th renewable energy project in Uganda, and it reflects EAAIF’s commitment to climate finance in emerging markets. It also advances PIDG’s aim of mobilising private capital for infrastructure across Africa and Asia, speeds up Uganda’s energy transition, and establishes Ituka as a cornerstone of the country’s long-term energy security.

Aqueel Bohra, chief investment officer at AMEA Power, said, “AMEA Power is proud to have delivered this project as our first operational asset in East Africa. As the project enters commercial operations, it is set to transform the region by strengthening grid reliability with clean energy, relieving power deficits, and laying the groundwork for sustainable economic development.”

Martijn Proos, co-head of Emerging Market Alternative Credit at Ninety One, the fund manager of EAAIF, commented, “Bringing the Ituka solar plant online marks an important step in expanding access to reliable electricity in Uganda’s historically underserved West Nile region. The project demonstrates EAAIF’s role as a pathfinder investor financing infrastructure in markets where the need for investment is significant. The electricity now flowing into the national grid represents a critical step towards stimulating economic activity across the West Nile region and addressing longstanding energy shortages.”