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The government of Burundi has approved the construction of two hydroelectric power stations.
- Both facilities will add a total of 10.65 MW to the country’s grid.
- The government will provide about US$4,738,569 as a sinking fund over the projects’ operating period.
The government of Burundi has approved the construction of two hydroelectric power stations on the Mulembwe and Ruvyironza rivers. The power stations are set to be constructed by Songa Energy and will add 10.65 MW to the country’s grid. The Mulembwe project will be a run-of-river power plant in the province of Bururi and will generate 9 MW.
These hydroelectric projects do not require the construction of a dam, and as such, are expected to have limited biodiversity, ecological and environmental impacts. The project will be developed as a public-private partnership (PPP) with Songa Energy selling its energy output to Burundi’s Régie de production et distribution d’eau et d’électricité (Regideso).
Read also: Generation Plunges as Hydro Output Drops.
The Ruvyirnza hydroelectric power station will have a capacity of 1.65 MW. Songa has already secured financing from the Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund (EEP Africa), a clean energy financing facility for Southern and Eastern Africa managed by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF). Songa Energy believes that the 6.5 GWh of clean energy generated manually will provide electricity to 20,000 people while reducing carbon emissions by 3,200 tonnes yearly.
The Burundi government will also provide about US$4,738,569 as a sinking fund for the projects over the 25-year operating period.