The Council of Ministers of Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi revealed that the Rusumo hydropower plant will soon supply electricity to three partner states by early November this year.
The project was expected to be completed by 2021, but governments have extended the project due to a lack of sufficient funding caused by Covid-19.
Nevertheless, this time, officials are optimistic that the project will be completed by the end of 2022 for citizens of both countries to start reaping the benefits of the energy supply.
Yusuf Makamba, Tanzania’s energy minister, said the council of ministers will make every effort to ensure the project is implemented on schedule.
“The first set of three unit transformers should be finished by November and complete by next year,” he said, adding; “As a council of ministers, we will push where necessary and make any adjustments to ensure the project is completed on schedule.”
The three governments received a grant of $468 million from different partners, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to finance the project, but the audit carried out by the country audit offices found that the delivery of the project seemed unrealistic with uncertainties on the execution time and shortcomings due to the fact that the initial cost was to increase.
The project is developed under the aegis of NELSAP for Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania financed by the World Bank.
The Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project is expected to generate 80MW and the output power will be shared equally by three countries and each country is expected to receive 26MW which will be added directly to their national grid.
The project consists of a concrete dam with a crest length of 150 m, a Headrace tunnel of 460 m and a surface powerhouse with 3 Kaplan turbines of 30 MW.
Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC are members of the CEPGL, a regional economic organization formed since 1974 to respond to the economic development of the Great Lakes region where under the protocol; regional and economic benefits are protected from any political interest.
The joint development was concluded by the three governments through a tripartite agreement signed on February 16, 2022.
Rwanda aims to achieve its goal of 100% electrification by 2024.
VIDEO: Rusumo 80MW hydropower project will benefit 7,000 households
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