Gridworks and the Government of Uganda have signed two key agreements that clear the way for the Amari Power Transmission project to enter the construction phase in the coming weeks, marking a significant step for Uganda’s electricity sector.
The agreements, signed on Feb.3, include an Implementation Agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and a Transmission Services Agreement with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited. Their signing positions Amari as the first independent transmission project in Africa to advance to construction, highlighting a major milestone in the use of private sector funding models for electricity transmission infrastructure on the continent.
The US$50 million Amari project will upgrade the transforming capacity of four high-voltage electricity substations at strategic locations on Uganda’s national grid. The upgrades are expected to strengthen electricity supply to industrial users, in line with government plans to enhance industrial competitiveness, particularly within the manufacturing sector. The project will also support increased integration of renewable energy into the grid and provide capacity for future regional power interconnections.
Once completed, Amari is expected to meet growing electricity demand, enable evacuation of current and future generation capacity, reduce system losses and improve overall power quality. The project is also anticipated to create employment opportunities during construction.
As a pilot initiative, it has contributed to the development of a regulatory framework designed to attract private investment into future grid expansion.
Gridworks Chief Executive Officer Chris Flavin welcomed the partnership with the Government of Uganda, describing the signing of the agreements as a decisive step toward construction. He said the government’s leadership and constructive engagement had been critical in advancing the project, adding that investment in strategic transmission infrastructure would underpin reliable power supply, industrial growth and long-term economic development.
Energy and Mineral Development Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said the project reflects the government’s forward-looking approach to building infrastructure needed to support industrialisation, regional integration and economic growth. She welcomed Gridworks as a long-term partner and expressed confidence in the timely construction and delivery of the project.
The Amari project will involve upgrades at four substations: the Tororo 220kV station in eastern Uganda near the Kenyan border; Nkenda 132kV station in western Uganda at the planned interconnection point with the Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Mbarara North 132kV and Mbarara South 220kV stations, both located in western Uganda.
Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited Chief Executive Officer Eng. Richard Matsiko said the utility views the partnership as strategic and transformative, and looks forward to effective implementation and measurable improvements to the national grid.
The project comes amid a growing trend across Africa of governments collaborating with the private sector to develop and finance critical transmission infrastructure, with several countries introducing reforms to attract private capital into the electricity grid sector.
Gridworks is also developing other independent transmission projects, including the Chimuara–Nacala Phase II and III project in Mozambique, a US$450 million, 460-kilometre high- voltage transmission line, and the Mbale–Bulambuli project in eastern Uganda, which will involve 80 kilometres of high-voltage lines and two new substations.
Earlier this week, Gridworks announced agreements with the Ethiopian government to develop two large-scale transmission projects, Degehabur–Kebridehar and Hurso–Ayisha, spanning more than 400 kilometres with a combined value of about US$400 million. The company’s broader portfolio also includes Moyi Power, a solar-powered utility serving communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as distributed utilities under Sustainable Power Solutions and Anzana Electric Group.
