All poles supplied for electricity networks must, according to ERA at least last 20 years. Photo | File
Electricity
Regulatory Authority (ERA) has set guidelines for wooden pole suppliers
which it says seek to guarantee the service life for the poles and
adherence to quality requirements.
The guidelines drafted in June 2020 but published in August will take effect in March 2021.
The guidelines drafted in June 2020 but published in August will take effect in March 2021.
“The
objectives of these guidelines are to guarantee the service life of
wooden poles to a minimum of 20 years after they are erected onto the
network, to set the standards for the quality of poles that are procured
and used in the electricity supply industry in Uganda,” the guidelines
read in part.
ERA said the guidelines were set up
after the realisation that the wooden poles erected onto the
distribution and transmission networks had a short life span, which has
contributed to poor quality of service.
In the guidelines, ERA specifies that wooden poles will only be procured from a list of the registered suppliers, whose poles have been certified by Uganda National Bureau of Standards.
In the guidelines, ERA specifies that wooden poles will only be procured from a list of the registered suppliers, whose poles have been certified by Uganda National Bureau of Standards.
The poles supplier licensees
effective March shall also ensure an electronic chip is embedded in the
wooden poles for effective tracking and mapping.
“A
licensee shall effective March 1, 2021 only erect poles on the network
fitted with an electronic chip or similar device that has the ability to
store the following information about the pole: the source of pole or
supplier, date of treatment, date of erection, length of the pole;” ERA
directed.
In addition, while currently, wooden poles
last between five to 10 years, ERA now requires licensees to procure
wooden poles with a guaranteed service life span of at least 20 years
and warranty of 10 years.
Mr Mugisha Ferdinand, the Ferdsult Group managing director, said the guidelines were agreeable save for the service life of the poles.
Mr Mugisha Ferdinand, the Ferdsult Group managing director, said the guidelines were agreeable save for the service life of the poles.
“We have gone through the ERA pole treatment guidelines and we
find most of them okay. However, we do not know who informed them to
come up with a 20-year guarantee and the 10-year warranty. They are not
quoting any standard to this. These warranties and guarantees must
follow a certain standard,” he said.
However, Ms Diana
Naisuna Nambi, the ERA acting manager communication, said the service
life span requirement was premised on research as well as benchmarks
from different countries including Kenya.
Utility
service providers such as Umeme and Rural Electrification Agency
recently started to transition from wooden poles to concrete, saying the
former was rotting and getting destroyed in a few years.
Elsewhere
In Kenya, use of wooden poles for electricity was banned in 2018 on grounds of climate change but the decision was overturned in 2020, favouring commercial tree farmers who had decried the low market.
In Kenya, use of wooden poles for electricity was banned in 2018 on grounds of climate change but the decision was overturned in 2020, favouring commercial tree farmers who had decried the low market.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
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