Kigali – Rwanda ministry of infrastructure on Wednesday in Kigali announced plans to connect at least 70 per cent of rural households to electricity by 2017.
James Musoni, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure said the government’s ambition towards energy policy was for every Rwandan citizen to have affordable and reliable electricity in a sustainable way.
He said the country’s rural electrification currently stands at 22 per cent.
Musoni said the work was ongoing to meet the Rwandan government’s target of electrifying 70 per cent of rural homes by 2017.
The minister said Rwanda has put in place strategies to promote energy sector by diversifying energy sources such as methane, hydro electric power, geothermal, peat and solar energy, among others.
Musoni said government planned to rehabilitate power transmission lines and substations across the country in order to achieve the 70 per cent rural electrification target.
Jean-Bosco Mugiraneza, Chief Executive of Rwanda Energy Group, said government has initiated a public- private partnership programme to boost energy production in the country.
“Rwanda energy production capacity was quadrupled over the past eight years.
“The energy production capacity is about 200mw, up from 50mw in 2008,” he said.
Mugiraneza expressed his confidence that the goal can be reached through a mix of hydro, methane gas, geothermal, peat and solar energy.
“Rwanda plans to begin exporting renewable energy to regional countries by 2021,’’ he said. (Xinhua/NAN)
