Rwanda to meet half of solar power target with new plant

Rwanda has in the works plans to build a $30 million solar power plant in the Kayonza district of eastern Rwanda. The construction of the 10 megawatt plant is part of a deal with Goldsol II, a consortium made up of three companies: Rwanda-based 3E Power Solar, Malta’s Gesto Energy Africa and TMM Renewables headquartered in South Africa.

Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza, chief executive officer of the Rwanda Development Board, said the power production of the solar plant will meet half of the country’s solar energy target set at 20 MW by 2017, according to Rwanda Eye.

The energy sector in Rwanda has an installed generation capacity of about 120 MW of power, but the government aims to generate 563 MW by 2017, reported the source. This power production target could help boost the amount of electricity received by the country’s population from 19.4 percent to 70 percent by 2017.

“This is very important for business, it is important for rural areas, when people have access to electricity it is the most important way to transform the society” Rugwabiza said.

The consortium projects completion of the 10 MW solar project by 2016.