The construction of Ruzizi III hydropower plant, a 147-MW plant on the Ruzizi River, has received US$ 138m funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The funds will enable construction of a river dam between DRC and Rwanda from Ruzizi River and also for the erection of a 147-MW power plant and distribution station that will serve three countries: Rwanda, DRC and Burundi.
This initiative will assist the countries in meeting their energy needs by providing reliable and affordable electric power.
The hydropower plant is anticipated to increase access to electricity by 300% in the named countries and thereby contributing to the sustainable socio-economic transformation of the region. The electricity generated will also feed into the East African Power Pool (EAPP).
“At least US$139m will be borne by the AfDB’s public sector window and US$50m by the private sector window,” said a statement from AfDB.
Ruzizi III hydropower plant project is part of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA)and involves Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) and Rwanda. It is the first regional power project in East Africa to be established as a public-private partnership (PPP).
