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Were projects assessed solely on their economic and social impact, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) and Lake Albert would probably be widely praised. Uganda needs both the energy and investment the projects bring. But the projects have drawn fierce criticism from environmental campaigners and NGOs, in Uganda and beyond in a concerted, high-profile campaign that has registered successes.

With oil field developments proceeding at pace, the Kampala government has signalled its intention to play a more robust role in economic management, with plans to renationalise the electricity distribution network and take an expensive majority stake in the Kabalega refinery development. Meanwhile financing for the Eacop pipeline is expected to close soon, with Chinese lenders stepping in where western financiers have refused to go, writes Marc Howard, recently in Kampala and Hoima.

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline project has attracted strong opposition from environment pressure groups intent on stopping new oil and gas developments. However, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) permanent secretary Irene Bateebe told African Energy the project would help Uganda’s energy transition plans.

The European Union is providing funds to rehabilitate the government-owned and operated Nalubaale and Kiira hydroelectric power (HEP) plants, which form a two-dam complex on the River Nile at Jinja.

The state-owned Uganda National Oil Company (Unoc) is looking to commercialise the country’s Rift Valley geothermal potential – estimated to be some 1.5GW – and is encouraging private investors to submit interest.

Uganda has got itself into hot water with donors and investors on several fronts, but President Yoweri Museveni’s new Anti-Homosexual Law and his robust response to the campaign against the controversial Eacop pipeline play very differently to a domestic audience. As Museveni has taken umbrage at ‘being lectured to’, finding a way out of the donor row will be a tough challenge for all concerned, writes Thalia Griffiths.

Dubai-headquartered Amea Power has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with state utility Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (UETCL) for a solar PV project.

Once fully commissioned, the nameplate 650,000 b/d Dangote refinery complex is expected to transform the downstream sector in West Africa, but other major refinery projects are also under way in Angola and Ghana, writes James Gavin.

The Lagos-headquartered Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) is investing $95m in Kampala-headquartered Mahathi Infra Uganda. The funding will be used to build two barges that will move diesel, gasoline, kerosene and jet fuel 250km across Lake Victoria, from Kisumu in Kenya to Bugiri-Bukasa.

French major TotalEnergies has started drilling at the Tilenga oilfield – a key part of the wider Lake Albert project in Uganda – while facing down fresh criticism over the Eacop export pipeline to Tanzania.

The Cygnum Capital-managed Facility for Energy Inclusion has advanced a $30m loan to Equator Energy to help the Nairobi-headquartered C&I developer grow its business across Africa.

The 6.9MW run-of-river Muyembe hydroelectric power (HEP) plant has been commissioned. Power will be sold to Uganda Electricity Transmission Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

New York-listed energy services provider Expro Group Holdings has won a $30m, five-year well intervention and integrity contract from France’s TotalEnergies for the Tilenga project in Uganda.

The planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline project continues to face financing difficulties – and the DRC’s hopes that Eacop capacity may be on offer to evacuate its own eventual Lake Albert exports seem overblown – but officials in Kampala are also pushing ahead with plans for a third licensing round and a 60,000 b/d refinery, write James Gavin and African Energy staff.

The International Monetary Fund has trimmed its economic growth expectations for sub-Saharan Africa in its latest World Economic Outlook to 3.6% for 2023. Low-income countries are expected to outperform most of their richer neighbours, but some analysts have warned the IMF is being overly optimistic.