Energy

Kirchner Solar Group launch solar project in Uganda

Solargenset by Kirchner Solar Group. (Image source: Kirchner Solar Group)

Kirchner Solar Group, provider of solar solutions, has launched a power supply project in Uganda in an attempt to provide the country’s rural population with electricity

The project has been supported by develoPPP.de programme, run by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation) on behalf of the Germanys Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

According to Kirchner, the project will give Uganda’s rural population access to enviornment-friendly electricity while ensuring the power supply for radio masts through solargensets, a Kirchner Group in-house development.

The company informed that solargensets were modular, off-grid solar generators with a power output of up to 22MWh of solar energy per year.

Kirchner estimates that 80 per cent of Uganda’s 34mn people subsist on agriculture, while 27mn of the East African state’s population live in rural areas and only three per cent of all households have a power connection with a clear impact on the economic growth of small service and craft businesses.

The energy demand in the country was primarily covered by paraffin, petroleum, kerosene or diesel generators and lamps.

Kirchner Solar Group has operated an office in Uganda for some time and has more than ten-years experience of providing solar-based electricity and energy in the East African country.

The company said, “The solargenset has been an important development step for Uganda towards immunity from the price fluctuations of international commodities markets, and an option for affordable access to energy for private households and businesses.

“The solargenset is a portable container solution fitted with 48 monocrystalline high-performance PV modules that produces up to 22MWh of power annually.”

DeveloPPP.de programme head at GIZ GmbH, Helma Zeh-Gasser, said, “Access to energy is an important prerequisite for economic development, particularly in countries whose grid is only little developed, like in Uganda.

“Since the systems use PV modules to produce electricity anywhere, they can be flexibly deployed where they are most needed. We are therefore delighted to create this development opportunity for Uganda’s people, together with Kirchner Solar Group.”