REPUBLIC OF RWANDAMINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Introduction 

Rwanda is located in East Africa at approximately two degrees below the equator. It borders with Burundi in the South, Democratic Republic of Congo in the West, Tanzania in the East and Uganda in the North.

It is generally characterized by Savannah climate and its geographical location endows it with sufficient solar radiation intensity approximately equal to 5kWh/m2/day and peak sun hours of approximately 5 hours per day.

Rwanda’s Total on-grid installed solar energy is 12.23 MW. Households far away from the planned national grid coverage are encouraged to use standalone solar photovoltaic (PVs) to reduce the cost of access to electricity. The Rural Electrification Strategy in Rwanda approved in June 2016 outlines strategies through which Rwanda’s households could “have access to electricity through the most cost effective means by developing programs that will facilitate both the end users to access less costly technologies and increase private sector participation in the provision of these solutions” (MININFRA, RES, 2016). The Energy sector strategic plan underscores the universal access to electricity by 2024 with 48% of the households connected through off grid power systems.

Existing Projects

·Mount Jali in Kigali 250KWp Solar Plant.  In 2006, the government of Rwanda signed an MoU with German state Rhineland-Palatinate to construct, own and operate a 250 kWp grid connected solar plant and commissioning was done in 2007.It was funded by the German municipal power company Stadtwerke Mainz and installed by July 2008. The plant was constructed on the top of Mount Jali in Kigali City. Since its commissioning date, the plant has been operating successfully.

· Rwamagana Solar Power Plant (8.5 MW). The US23.7 million Rwamagana solar plant built in collaboration with Gigawatt Global and is located near Agahozo Sharlom Youth Village in Rwamagana District. The plant is the first utility-scale solar power plant in East Africa and it was commissioned in February 2015.

· Nasho Solar (3.3 MW) power plant.  The project was established and commissioned in 2017 to 3-megawatt solar energy to power-up the irrigation system and the surplus is used to light up homes in the area. The project was funded by the Howard G Buffett Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.

. There are also Nyamata solar (0.03MW) and Ndera (0.15MW) both off-grid connected from Bugesera and Gasabo district respectively.

Projects in pipeline.

· Feasibility studies are being conducted with different partners on the development of 30MW power plant with storage facility in the Eastern province.