Publication Details

Publication category
Economical

Assessing wind energy development in Uganda: Opportunities and challenges

This paper reviews the opportunities and challenges of developing wind energy in Uganda. It highlights that wind power can support economic growth, create jobs, and help meet Uganda’s rising energy demand while reducing emissions. However, the sector faces barriers such as lack of wind data, high startup costs, weak infrastructure, limited research, and poor policy support. The study recommends better wind assessments, improved infrastructure, financial incentives, and strong policies to boost wind energy development.

Publication Description

In this paper, we utilize a systematic review to assess opportunities and challenges in wind energy development in Uganda. Apart from being an environmentally friendly and renewable energy resource, development of wind energy could boosts economic growth and creates jobs. For Uganda, rising energy demand, need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing electricity access to rural areas, emerge as rational opportunities to invest in wind energy. The main obstacles to wind energy development in Uganda are insufficient wind resource data, high initial investment cost, inadequate research and development, weak infrastructure, and unsupportive policies. For policy, comprehensive wind resource assessment, energy infrastructure investment, financial de-risking, capacity building, and deliberate wind power policy incentives could accelerate wind energy development and consequently contribute