Sweden has pledged continued cooperation with Uganda in energy infrastructure, renewable power, technical capacity and financing as construction begins on a 400kV transmission project expected to strengthen electricity supply and regional trade.
Sweden has reaffirmed its commitment to Uganda’s energy sector as construction begins on a major transmission project intended to improve electricity supply to eastern Uganda and the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Sweden’s Ambassador to Uganda, Anna-Maria Olsson, said the Karuma–Tororo 400kV transmission line project demonstrates the value of international partnerships in strengthening Uganda’s electricity infrastructure and supporting industrial development.
“This project is testimony to what can be accomplished through partnership to overcome common challenges. It brings together Swedish capital and technical expertise with Ugandan ambition to advance sustainable energy development. This will, in turn, enable the expansion of Uganda’s industrial and productive capacity,” Olsson said.
She added that Sweden, working with its partners, looked forward to deepening cooperation with Uganda beyond the construction of the transmission line.
“As Team Sweden, we look forward to not only the completion of this project but also to strengthening our longstanding collaboration with Uganda in the energy sector through capacity building, renewable energy development, grid infrastructure, and project financing,” she said.
The project involves approximately 346 kilometres of 400kV double-circuit transmission line linking the 600-megawatt Karuma Hydropower Plant to a new substation near the Uganda-Kenya border in Tororo. It also includes associated substations and the construction of a 132/33kV substation at Ntinda in Kampala.
According to the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), the infrastructure is intended to strengthen the national transmission grid, improve power supply to eastern Uganda and the Greater Kampala area, and facilitate electricity trade with neighbouring countries.
Uganda has expanded its electricity generation capacity over the years, but adequate transmission infrastructure remains essential to deliver the available power reliably to homes, businesses and industries.
The Karuma–Tororo project is expected to help address that challenge by providing another high-voltage transmission route from Karuma while improving the grid’s capacity to serve growing demand and support regional power exchanges.
The investment is also expected to create opportunities for industrial and commercial growth, particularly in eastern Uganda, where improved electricity reliability could support manufacturing, investment and other productive activities.
Olsson recognised the contribution of companies including Kalpataru Power Transmission and Hitachi Energy, as well as financial institutions and other technical partners, in developing Uganda’s energy infrastructure.
The project’s financing arrangements involve Standard Chartered Bank. Sweden’s export credit agency, Exportkreditnämnden (EKN), has separately published information indicating that it was considering a guarantee for financing equipment for the transmission line.
The partnership builds on longstanding cooperation between Uganda and Sweden in the energy sector. Olsson said the two countries intended to continue working together in renewable energy, infrastructure development, technical capacity building and project financing.
She commended the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and UETCL for working with international partners to advance the project.
The transmission line forms part of Uganda’s wider effort to modernise its electricity network and ensure that investments in generation are matched by the infrastructure needed to transmit power to consumers and support economic growth.