Rusumo Border-Ngara, Tanzania, 6 December, 2019: Ministers responsible for energy from Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania held the 11th Council of Ministers Meeting on the 80 MW Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project to discuss progress of the project.

The meeting brought together Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Honorable Claver Gatete, Burundi’s Minister for Energy, Eng. Come Manirakiza, and Tanzania’s Energy Minister,Dr. Medard Kalemani together with board members. Ministers visited the project located on the River Akagera at the border between Rwanda and Tanzania, and about 25 kilometers from Burundi. They inspected all project components including dam site, tunnel, power house and switch yard.

The construction works of the project is currently at 59% and hoping to be completed before June 2021. The timeline was set by the Ministers during the inspection of the project to avoid further delays that may occur. The Ministers instructed the Rusumo Power Company Limited (RPCL), the company responsible to oversee the implementation of the entire project, to speed up all activities attached to the project.” We need electricity on grid so that the citizens of all countries can start benefiting from the project. Said Minister Gatete.

The Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) secured $340 million from World Bank for the construction of the 80MW power plant, and $128 million from the African Development Bank for the transmission lines.

The three countries share the Akagera River Basin, which covers an area of about 60,000 square kilometers, a sub-basin of the River Nile system.

Once the project is completed, it will unlock more opportunities in improving cross-border trade in the region, eradicate poverty and contribute to the economic growth, and reversal of environmental degradation in the Nile Equatorial Lakes region.

There transmission lines for electricity evacuation are equivalent to 94km from Rusumo to Nyakanazi (Tanzania), 161km to Rwanda, and 194km to Burundi. The lines are parallel built to fast-track connection activities.

Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project is implemented by NELSAP Project Implementation Unit / Nile Basin Initiative on behalf of the Rusumo Power Company Limited (RPCL) for Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania. NELSAP is always poised to ensure the Nile Equatorial Lakes countries get benefits accruing from cooperation and working together. The project is also meant to improve livelihoods, enhancing social economic impact and reducing environmental degradation.

The Council of Minister’s Chairmanship was handed over to Burundi from the United Republic of Tanzania, where the board of directorate was handled over to Tanzania from Rwanda.The new Chairman of Council of Ministers Meeting affirmed his commitment to fast-tracking the project activities by the monitoring of the project progress, identifying issues and coming up with tangible solution.