KivuWatt Power Station

KivuWatt Power Station

The KivuWatt Power Station is a 26 MW methane gas-powered thermal plant in Rwanda. It is located approximately 130 kilometres from Kigali, the capital. The project would extract power from Lake Kiwu and use the gas to generate power. The project costed $ 200 million, and is expected to generate 26 MW power, while it is expanded to 100 MW later. At present, the project is expected to help 45,000 people. Construction concluded in November 2015 and the power station was under testing from November 2015 until commissioning in June 2016. The KivuWatt power plant was inaugurated by Rwanda's president Kagame on 16 May 2016.

“Lake Kivu is probably Rwanda’s greatest natural resource but also its biggest liability, as it can spontaneously erupt carbon dioxide and methane, with disastrous effects on the local environment. KivuWatt is a unique new 100 MW power plant on the lake shore, which extracts the methane to generate electricity. At US$92 million, this is Rwanda’s first independent power project and largest single private investment, with financing arranged by the‑Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, African Development Bank, Netherlands Development Finance Company, BIO (the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries), and Belgian Development Bank” (KPMC).

(Image credits: Power Technology)