Rural Electrification of Uganda - a Technological and Financial feasibility study

Bjergegaard, Rasmus Thorup

4. Term

Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning, Master

2015

2015-08-06

86

I Uganda har kun omkring 7 % af befolkningen i landdistrikterne adgang til elektricitet, hvilket efterlader mere end 26 millioner mennesker uden strøm. Adgang til elektricitet hænger tæt sammen med sundhed, uddannelse og økonomiske muligheder, så det er presserende at finde omkostningseffektive løsninger i et lavindkomstland. Dette studie sammenligner to hovedveje: udvidelse af det nationale elnet og installation af off-grid systemer. Selvom strøm fra nettet er billigere at producere, er det dyrt at bygge nye ledninger; den bedste løsning afhænger derfor af den enkelte landsbys afstand til nettet og forventede forbrug. Flere teknologier kan anvendes, men succes afhænger ofte mere af menneskelige faktorer – såsom lokale kompetencer i design, installation og drift – end af selve udstyret. Disse kapacitetsudfordringer går på tværs af teknologier. Analysen peger på to særligt gennemførlige løsninger: netudvidelse og solcellebaserede mini-net (solar PV). Sol-mininet er modulære, så kapaciteten kan udvides i takt med efterspørgslen, i modsætning til generatorbaserede systemer, hvor hele enheden typisk skal udskiftes ved større behov. Økonomisk klarer dieselgenerator-baserede mininet sig bedst blandt off-grid mulighederne, men kun med omkring 16 % bedre økonomi end sol; givet solens tekniske fordele vælges solcelle-mininet som den foretrukne off-grid løsning. Ved at bruge GIS (et kortbaseret analyseværktøj) til at sammenligne omkostninger pr. landsby og vælge laveste pris, indikerer resultaterne en samlet udrulning med cirka tre dele netudvidelse for hver del off-grid, forudsat en tilbagebetalingstid på 10 år.

In Uganda, only about 7% of rural communities have electricity, leaving more than 26 million people without power. Access to electricity is closely linked to health, education, and economic opportunities, so finding cost-effective ways to expand access is urgent in a low-income context. This study compares two main pathways: extending the national grid or installing off-grid systems. Although electricity from the grid is cheaper to produce, building new grid lines is expensive; the best choice therefore varies by each village’s distance to the grid and expected demand. Several technologies can work, but success often depends more on human factors—such as local skills for design, installation, and management—than on the hardware itself. These capacity challenges affect most technologies similarly. Our analysis identifies two especially feasible options: grid extension and solar PV (photovoltaic) mini-grids. Solar mini-grids are modular, so capacity can be added as demand grows, unlike generator-based systems that typically require replacing the unit. Financially, diesel generator mini-grids perform best among off-grid options, but only by about 16% compared with solar PV; given solar’s technical advantages, solar PV is selected as the preferred off-grid solution. Using a GIS (a map-based analysis tool) to compare village-level costs and choose the least-cost option, the results indicate an overall mix of roughly three parts grid extension to one part off-grid, assuming a 10-year payback period.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

Off-grid ; Rural electrification ; Grid extension ; Developing countries ; Uganda ; LCOE ; Feasibility study ; GIS ; Least-cost

Download
View record in AAU Student Projects