Turkey will build a bioenergy plant to generate electricity in Uganda, Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Isik told Anadolu Agency on Friday.
Both countries agreed to cooperate in various fields, with a main focus on energy, Isik said.
In 2015, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) first met to determine areas for collaboration and development, he added.
Three sectors - energy, food and biotechnology - were identified as priority fields, Isik highlighted.
'The first action is for Turkey to participate in the energy field as it is urgently important to widen the reach of electricity in Uganda,' he stressed.
Isik said that a group of Turkish energy experts visited Uganda during 2015 to research the rich biomass and geothermal sources in the country. While there, they held technical meetings with officials at the ministry and related institutions in the capital, Kampala to determine an action plan.
Information was exchanged about electricity production plants from biomass and geothermal and in assessment of electricity distribution lines, potential user numbers and availability of energy sources, it was determined that electricity generation from a bioenergy plant was found to be the most suitable first step, he argued.
The plant will have gasification and burning technologies to assist the biogas technology, he added.
Once the memorandum of understanding for the plant is signed, the next step will be to apply for financial aid from the Islamic Development Bank in Saudi Arabia, Isik said.
The memorandum of understanding has been presented to the officials of both institutions, TUBITAK and UNCST, for consideration, Isik said.
Reporting by Mehtap Yilmaz
Writing by Zeynep Beyza Kilic
Anadolu Agency
zeynep.karabay@aa.com.tr