As part of efforts to improve access to clean energy in Uganda, the GIZ energy and climate programme through the Green People’s Energy project (GBE) supported Radio Pacis, a radio station located in the city of Arua. This support aimed at increasing the station’s installed photovoltaic capacity from 300 kWp to 510 kWp to to meet the radio’s energy demand.

Due to this increased capacity, Radio Pacis is now able to export the excess generated capacity during day to the Utility’s network (WENRECO). Before these additional kWp are put in operation, GBE partnered with GET.transform to conduct a comprehensive assessment of its potential impact on the local distribution grid managed by the West Nile Rural Electrification Company (WENRECo). The assessment was conducted by Energynautics. It is expected that this project serves to build up local experience and provide valuable insights regarding the interconnection of embedded generators, in particular for remote and isolated power systems as in the case of WENRECo.

The assessment will include the following activities:

• Grid impact study of the embedded generator in the isolated grid
• Development of technical guidelines for WENRECo on the process to follow when interconnecting embedded generators
• Capacity building activities through a workshop in Uganda

The project officially started with an online kick-off meeting in September 2023, with representatives from WENRECo, Radio Pacis, GIZ and the Energynautics team and it is expected to run until December 2023. The goal of this joint effort is not only to support the transition to cleaner energy sources, but also to promote a more sustainable energy transition in Uganda by empowering the local stakeholders.