Rwanda Announces Completion of $23.5 Million Hydro Power Project

The Rwanda Government has announced that they have completed the construction of a 9.5 MW hydro power project with an investment of $23.5 million. The power plant’s contribution would be around 11% to the overall national generation capacity.

They have plans for constructing three more hydro power plants with a total capacity of 234 MW to make up for the country’s energy deficit. The three dam projects include one 28 MW domestic hydro project on River Nyabarongo, once it is completed in 2013 February.

The second project on River Rusizi would have an installed capacity of 145 MW. A feasibility study has been undertaken and it would be operational by 2016. This is a shared project between Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic Congo. A 61 MW project on River Rusomo, which would be shared by Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi would be completed in 2015; and its feasibility study has been finalized.

During the next seven years Rwanda plans to augment the industrial production by 12% yearly and to increase by 30%, the access to power and thereby take energy production levels from 80 MW to 1000 MW.