Rwanda will invest heavily in geothermal power

The Rwandan government issued a statement a few days ago that Rwanda plans to invest US$935 million in the construction of 310 megawatts of geothermal power plants in the next seven years in order to solve the power shortage problem.

Rwanda has enjoyed rapid economic growth in recent years, but energy shortages have become an important factor constraining Rwanda’s economic development. The Rwandan Ministry of Energy says that currently only 14% of the population in Rwanda can use electricity. In 2009, Rwanda's power grid installed capacity was only 69 MW, but Rwanda plans to increase this figure to 130 MW by investing in the construction of small hydropower plants and biogas plants by the end of 2012.

The statement said that Rwanda will simultaneously develop various power generation methods such as hydropower, biogas, and solar energy. The ultimate goal is to increase Rwanda’s capacity to 1,000 megawatts by 2017.

Geological exploration projects confirmed that the Great Rift Valley in East Africa is rich in geothermal resources and has huge potential for power generation. However, in addition to Kenya and Ethiopia, most of the countries surrounding the Great Rift Valley have not yet initiated the development of geothermal resources in the country.