The Council of Ministers (CoM) in charge of energy in Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania visited the 80MW Power Plant in construction on September 30, 2023, to call on the progress of commissioning the three units generating electricity to respective national grids. The CoM Members were accompanied by the Board of Directors of Rusumo Power Company Limited (RPCL) high level ministerial delegates, and Heads of TANESCO, REGIDESO and REG among others.
RPCL CoM is chaired by the Tanzania Minister of Energy, also Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Doto Mashaka BITEKO and is constituted of Rwanda Minister of Infrastructure, Hon Dr Jimmy GASORE and Burundi Minister for Hydraulics, Energy and Mines, Hon. Eng. Ibrahim UWIZEYE.
Ministerial site visit was handled by NELSAP, the successful implementer who was delegated by Shareholders to execute construction of the 80MW Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project on behalf of RPCL. NELSAP is a subsidiary program of the Nile Basin Initiative and established a Project Implementation Unit with specific mission to supervise execution of the works.
NELSAP Regional Coordinator, Eng. Dr Isaac ALUKWE spearheaded the ministerial visit to the main project’s site: the dam and power intake, the powerhouse to witness one running units currently supplying electricity to national grids and the ongoing testing of two machine and. During site visit, the implementer showcased that “Unit 1 is now stably evacuating 27MW to REGIDESO, REG and TANESCO’s grids and Unit 3 also evacuates electricity intermittently”. NELSAP affirmed to the Ministers that “all three Unit will be fully operational by end of October 2023”.
Rusumo Power Plant is a run of the river structure, with capacity to optimally produce 80MW with reduced social and environmental impacts at 1320m asl. Construction works commenced in early 2017 with a groundbreaking event that was blessed by the three ministers of energy and finance from shareholders and several development and hydropower stakeholders.
NELSAP is now reckoning the Plant’s production of electricity in 2023 as a successful path as the historical cross-border hydro project is maturing after 46 years and is soon with numerous safeguards and procedures challenges and lessons.
After the tour of Rusumo hydro infrastructure, the CoM held a fruitful meeting in presence of RPCL Board of Directors, high level ministerial delegates, national utilities and NELSAP to deliberate of the balance work calling for urgent action before the project can be inaugurated by the Heads of States. CoM Members therefore addressed to their respective national media to affirm that “Rusumo Power Plant will be supplying electricity by end of 2023” said the CoM Chairman.
Construction of the 80MW Power Plant is funded by the World Bank, including the Local Area Development Program and Transmission Lines are financed by the African Development Bank.