- The Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project has reached 99% completion.
- The project will address the electricity shortage experienced by Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Tanzanians have a reason to smile following the long-awaited Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project (RRFHP), reaching 99 per cent to completion and is expected to be launched soon. Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) Kagera Regional Manager, Engr. Godlove Mathayo said that he was confident that once the hydropower project is completed, it will enhance socio-economic growth and reinforce regional cooperation, partnership and peace within the East African region.
He added, “The project is a good initiative to improve socio-economic benefits. Once operational, it will bring 80 MW of renewable, clean, relatively low-cost power to the national grids of Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania, with each country benefitting from about 27 MW.”
Elaborating, he tipped the residents of Kagera, Geita and Kigoma regions and other Tanzanians to grab the attractive investment opportunities that come with its implementation, especially to increase the production of cash and food crops to enable the nation to get raw materials needed in the industrialisation drive.
The project will address the acute electricity shortage experienced by the three countries, which negatively affects their economies.
Once operational, the project will generate 80 MW of renewable clean energy, relatively low-cost power to the national grids of the three countries shared equally. Each country will receive an additional 165 GWH per year.
The additional power will benefit about 1,146,000 people in the three countries: 520,000 in Burundi (5.4%), 159,000 in Tanzania (0.34%) and 467,000 in Rwanda (4%).