A new field study in Uganda has drawn attention to a practical, low-cost innovation that could help Africa’s utility sector extend the life of its wooden electricity poles and save millions of dollars in replacement costs.
Led by Dr. Paul Mugabi of Makerere University’s School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, the independent research assessed the performance of Polesaver’s Rot-Guard™ sleeves, a dual-layer, heat-shrinkable barrier designed to protect the ground line of utility poles from rot and termite attack. Researchers examined 200 poles that had been in service for up to eight years in central Uganda. Of these, 113 had been fitted with Rot-Guard sleeves and 87 were left untreated. The results were striking: not a single sleeved pole showed signs of decay or termite damage, while the untreated sample experienced decay in nearly five percent of poles and termite attack in close to six percent.
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Wooden poles remain the backbone of power distribution in most African countries, valued for their lower cost, lighter environmental footprint and relative ease of installation compared to steel or concrete alternatives. Yet their Achilles’ heel has long been their limited lifespan. In Uganda alone, utilities spent more than 30.9 billion Ugandan shillings, the equivalent of 8.8 million US dollars, replacing prematurely failed poles between 2017 and 2021. More than 83,000 poles were replaced during that period, most failing after just ten years of service. Biological deterioration, in the form of fungal decay and termite damage, was identified as the overwhelming cause.
Against that backdrop, the Ugandan study offers not just promising data but also a new way of thinking about cost-effective infrastructure protection. Richard George, CEO of Polesaver, said the findings show how “a relatively simple, proven technology can deliver substantial benefits for utility providers by dramatically reducing replacement and maintenance costs while improving network safety and reliability.”
The Rot-Guard technology is straightforward in design but clever in its protection. When applied to a pole, the outer thermoplastic layer shrinks tightly to the wood, preventing the ingress of water and oxygen, while the inner bituminous layer bonds to the surface, creating an impenetrable seal. This dual barrier targets the most vulnerable part of the pole, the ground line and the first few inches below the soil surface, where moisture and pests typically take their greatest toll.
What makes the study particularly timely is its relevance to Africa’s wider electrification goals. The Mission 300 initiative, launched with support from multilateral lenders and governments, seeks to connect 300 million additional people to electricity by 2030. That ambition will demand rapid expansion of power distribution networks, much of it relying on wooden poles. The Ugandan data suggest that protecting poles at the ground line could be an essential step in ensuring that the billions of dollars invested in new infrastructure deliver durable service rather than premature failures.
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Beyond immediate cost savings, the environmental implications are also important. Life-cycle assessments often show that wooden poles, when responsibly sourced, carry a smaller carbon footprint than concrete or steel. Extending their service life enhances that advantage, reducing the demand for fresh timber, cutting replacement-related transport emissions, and limiting waste. The sustainability case strengthens further when one considers the opportunity cost of repeated pole failures: every early replacement diverts resources away from expanding access to households and communities still waiting for their first electricity connection.
The study does, however, warrant careful interpretation. The findings are based on poles in one part of Uganda, and soil conditions, termite species and climate vary across Africa. Independent replication in multiple regions would build greater confidence. Equally, while the Makerere-led research adds academic weight, the results were publicized by the product manufacturer, underlining the importance of transparency and peer review in future trials. Utilities and regulators would benefit from commissioning their own assessments, ensuring that sleeves meet local environmental and safety standards and verifying that installation practices are consistently reliable.
Nevertheless, the early evidence is difficult to ignore. Uganda’s experience shows how the burden of premature pole replacement can drain utility budgets, with nearly nine million US dollars lost over five years to failures that might have been avoided. If a simple sleeve can extend pole life significantly beyond the ten-year average observed in the country’s sample, then the savings, both financial and environmental, could be transformative.
As Africa accelerates towards its electrification targets, the lessons from Uganda point to a pragmatic truth: sustainability is not always about headline-grabbing megaprojects. Sometimes, it lies in quiet, practical interventions, like a sleeve wrapped around the base of a pole, that allow scarce resources to go further and keep the lights on for millions more people.
