Germany Boosts Energy in Three African Countries

During the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning headquarters in Kigali, the minister, Amb. Claver Gatete, explained that the grant will be fully designated to the regional "Hydropower Station Ruzizi III" project.

Gatete said: "This bilateral agreement shall increase Rwanda's clean energy generation capacity by about 50 megawatts. We very much appreciate the support of the German government. Additional benefits of the project, besides opening the area to modern infrastructure, will include the creation of permanent and temporary jobs and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions." A joint communication indicates that the grant will be implemented by the German KfW Development Bank in cooperation with the Government, the implementing Special Project Company of Ruzizi III, and other donors including the African Development Bank (AfDB), World Bank, and the European Union.

German Ambassador to Rwanda, H. E. Amb. Peter Fahrenholtz said: "This agreement underlines the long-standing and proven cooperation between our two countries based on friendship and mutual trust. Amb. Fahrenholtz stressed that it is also a regional project and there is hope the project will also play a positive role in fostering peace and security in regional countries as they work together.

The Ruzizi III project is a 147-megawatt hydropower joint project between Burundi, DR Congo and Rwanda, intended to be developed as a public-private partnership project. Feasibility studies have been completed and the total project cost is estimated at $650 million to be shared by the three governments. River Ruzizi, which separates Rwanda and Burundi from DR Congo, offers an energy potential of 400 megawatts. Since the late 1950s, River Ruzizi has been utilized for electricity production by the three countries. However, according to the Ministry of Finance in Rwanda, existing hydro power plants Ruzizi I and II, with a capacity of 28 and 44 megawatts, respectively, are nowhere near sufficient to meet the energy demand of the population and the economies.