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Households and businesses in the West Nile region will access clean energy products and information on their usage at the upcoming week-long Clean Energy Fair in Arua City.
The theme for the Fair scheduled for September 28 to October 1 at the Market Grounds in Arua City is “Clean Energy Solutions for a Better Life”, and the main objective is to increase awareness and uptake of renewable energy technologies.
The 2022 Clean Energy Fair, the second after one in Gulu in 2019, is part of the bigger campaign to increase the uptake of renewable energy technologies in Northern Uganda and the fast-growing West Nile market.
The activity is jointly organised by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), Uganda National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Alliance (UNREEEA) under the GIZ- Promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme (PREEEP), and Energising Development (EnDev) Uganda.
Eng. Simon T. Kalanzi, Commissioner, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department at MEMD, called upon residents to save money and preserve the environment by switching to solar products, improved cookstoves and other energy-efficient products.
“In trying to tackle the challenge of low electrification levels in the West Nile region while staying mindful of environmental preservation, alternative approaches to support rural transformation and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were sought, and development partners were brought on board,” he said, citing the Fair in Arua as an avenue for the Ministry to further this cause.
Over 50 companies dealing in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies will exhibit to the over 1,000 expected to turn up daily during the activity week. The organisers of the Arua Energy Fair intend to further the conversation on effective, sustainable, and clean energy, showcase the various affordable renewable energy options to the people of West Nile and Northern Uganda and offer a platform for people at the grassroots to pick key lessons for the betterment of their lives.
The PREEEP targets consumer behaviour change and is implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project supports policy improvement, market development, skills development, budget planning, monitoring and evaluation for improved access to renewable energy (RE) and energy efficient (EE) technologies.
GIZ Energising Development (EnDev) Uganda, in close cooperation with MEMD, also facilitates market-based access to modern energy technologies and services for households, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and social institutions.