Abstract

Rapid industrialization of Uganda's Albertine Graben region has increased the demand for reliable and diversified energy sources, prompting interest in hybrid renewable systems. This study examined the technical and economic feasibility of a 30 MW hybrid geothermal-solar photovoltaic power plant in Kibiro, a site with both geothermal activity and strong solar potential. Simulations carried out in the System Advisor Model (SAM) were used to evaluate the design, performance, and financial viability of the system, with both components independently modeled due to the lack of a hybrid PPA for renewable energy projects in Uganda.

The analysis showed that the co-located system could generate over 180 GWh annually, with geothermal providing baseload generation at a 94% capacity factor and solar PV supplementing daytime peaks. The study identified regulatory gaps in support of the hybrid system and proposed Kibiro as a scalable model for integrated renewable energy development in East Africa and similar regions.