Within two months, Phase One of the KivuWatt project will add 25 mega watts to the national grid of power generated by methane gas from Lake Kivu.

This follows the arrival of a barge at the production site, which means that production will start in July, according to the utility company.

During the tour of the facility, yesterday, Jean Bosco Mugiraneza, the CEO of Rwanda Energy Group (REG), said it will help reduce the use of unhealthy and risky energy sources.

"It is an important step forward to see the barge completed. Electricity from this plant will help us decrease the use of diesel for electricity,” Mugiraneza said in Karongi District during the installation of the barge yesterday.

However, he was quick to add that it does not mean automatic reduction in the cost of electricity"I can’t say that this will automatically reduce the cost of electricity, but I hope within two or three years the cost will reduce gradually since electricity to be produced from the Kivu Watt and other upcoming projects will be at an affordable price”, he said

The barge is the first of the four phases which is expected to produce 100MW when completed.

Tariq Mohmood, the extraction plant manager, said the completion of the initial phase gave them hope for better execution of the remaining phases by Contour Global’s Kivu watt project.

"It was not easy for this phase since we had to import everything, and we were having various difficulties related to clearance at customs which was resulting into delays. Yet, the completion of this phase revamps hope to complete the remaining phases because we are now well set,” Tariq said

The project is a positive step towards the country’s target of 1,000MW by 2017 to help meet the demand of a fast-growing economy that is expected to hit middle income status by 2020.

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