• Amari Power Transmission reaches financial close with $50 million in secured funding.

• The project marks Africa’s first private electricity transmission initiative to reach this stage.

• The development reflects a gradual shift toward private investment in power grids, still dominated by public funding.

Uganda’s Amari Power Transmission project has reached financial close, marking a new phase in strengthening the country’s electricity transmission network following the end of distributor Umeme’s concession in March 2025.

UK-based platform Gridworks announced on Thursday, March 26 that it had secured and signed all required financing agreements totaling $50 million. This milestone enables the launch of construction for what it describes as the first private electricity transmission project in Africa to reach this stage.

“Amari shows how governments and private investors can collaborate to mobilize capital for critical electricity network infrastructure […] Access to this type of financing is essential to achieve infrastructure development goals,” said Chris Flavin, Chief Executive Officer of Gridworks.

The project developers are partnering with the Ugandan government and the state-owned Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL). The project will strengthen transformation capacity at four high-voltage substations located in Tororo, Nkenda, Mbarara North, and Mbarara South.

The Amari project will improve power supply quality for industrial users, reduce technical losses, and support the integration of new generation capacity. It will also prepare the grid for regional electricity trade. Siemens Energy will handle construction, and developers expect commissioning in 2028.

Toward Greater Private Participation in Power Transmission

The Amari financing agreement comes as independent transmission projects emerge as a complement to public efforts to strengthen electricity networks.

According to the “Financing Electricity Access in Africa” report published in October 2025 by the International Energy Agency (IEA), governments still account for nearly all investment in African power grids, while private financing contributes less than 30% of total flows.

However, rising public debt and financial constraints on state-owned utilities are pushing several countries to gradually open their transmission networks to private capital in order to meet growing investment needs.

Backed by the UK government, Gridworks, which focuses on developing and investing in electricity projects in Africa, reflects this trend through similar initiatives in countries including Mozambique and Ethiopia.

This article was initially published in French by Abdoullah Diop

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum