Integration News
Rwanda To Tap Into EA Power Sources
R
wanda’s disturbing power shortages may soon begin to dwindle when it begins receiving high voltage electricity from Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, something that is expected to spur rapid private sector output.
Plans to import power from the three East African countries are ripe with initial agreements already in place to allow Rwandawhose power shortage has been blamed as one of the thorny challenges to the growth of the private sector- meet its energy needs. With an ambitious target to connect 70 percent of the Rwandan households to the national electricity grid by end 2017 from the current 22%-which requires increasing installed capacity from the current 119 Megawatts (MW) to 563MW over the next three years-Rwanda is currently exploring all possible sources of electricity, ranging from locally available sources such as hydro, Geothermal, Methane gas, Solar and Peat energy to the importation of electricity from the region. The Ministry of Infrastructure (Mininfra) which is propelling the energy development agenda for the country has been working tirelessly to make sure that not only are local power generation projects implemented, but also the planned power importations are realised without failure. To ensure smooth running and follow-up of the planned www.mineac.gov.rw
Rwanda to benifit from Regional power projects regional power flow to Rwanda, framework which Rwanda signed the Ministry has a focal point in with her counterparts Kenya and charge of coordinating Regional Uganda. Energy Projects. “A tripartite MOU [Memorandum Eng. Tom Rwahama is the of Understanding] between the Regional Energy Projects Governments of Rwanda, Uganda Coordinator at the Ministry of and Kenya was signed in October 2013,” he wrote in an email to Infrastructure. Integration Affairs Magazine. With past experience in renewable energy, Eng. Rwahama is a “Also, the Government of brilliant young Rwandan whose Rwanda and the Government of passion to developing workable the Federal Democratic Republic solutions to addressing Rwanda’s of Ethiopia signed an MOU of up to 400MW power trading in energy challenges is spot on. the near future,” Eng. Rwahama He says that Rwanda is targeting further noted. regional power exchanges through the Northern Corridor He further revealed that currently, Infrastructure Projects the Government of Rwanda is July-Dec 2014
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