Rwanda’s Green Fund (FONERWA) expects to reach a milestone of creating 100,000 green jobs this year, according to Bright Ntare, the Fund’s programme manager.

Ntare told Sunday Times that in the next 12 months Rwanda’s Green Fund, a ground-breaking environment and climate change investment fund, is particularly looking forward to increasing its impact by boosting Rwanda’s climate resilience.

He added: "We will invest in initiatives that put climate change at the centre of policy making and Rwanda’s development and continue to work hand in hand with the private sector to attract international investment for the country’s green growth.

"In 2017, we expect to reach the milestone of creating 100,000 green jobs as a result of the fund’s investments.”

Launched in 2014, the Green Fund idea is to be the engine of the country’s green growth for the next 50 years by providing unheralded technical and financial support to top public and private projects that align with Rwanda’s commitment to a green economy.

By August last year the fund – the largest of its kind in Africa – had created projects that employed almost 60,000 people, restored more than 8,500 hectares of watersheds and water bodies and protected almost 13,000 hectares of land against erosion.

The impact of the Green Fund continues to grow and, today; 89,694 green jobs have been created; 21,847 hectares of land has been reforested; 17,449 families connected to off-grid clean energy; and 12,998 hectares of watersheds and water bodies restored.

Nearly four years after its founding, FONERWA which provides expert technical assistance to ensure success of investments has mobilised more than $100 million for climate resilience initiatives.

Every six months, the Fund carries out a formalised process of public calls for proposals (CFPs). During a one month window of opportunity, applicants submit their project concepts, known as Project Profile Documents (PPDs), developed according to pre-established criteria.

The proposals are then taken through a rigorous screening process before funding decisions are made by a fund managing committee. By last August, the Fund had approved 33 investments helping Rwanda reduce its carbon footprint and adapt to a warmer planet.

Last August, in its ninth call for proposals, FONERWA called on public and private entities to submit funding proposals for initiatives that promote mainstreaming of environmental protection, climate change and green growth. Fund managers say that 21 proposals were selected to proceed to the project documentation phase which includes developing a more comprehensive outline of the proposal. Hydro Power Project One of the projects from previous selection is the 500 kW Gaseke hydro power project constructed along the Gaseke River, downstream of Birambo Village in Busengo Sector, in Gakenke District.

This project expected to generate 3.3 million units of electricity per year is being implemented by Novel Energy ltd, a local renewable energy company, hoping to give the area community easy access to power, provide employment as well as add to the national grid.

It is estimated that the project will help reduce 3,321 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Co2-e) from being emitted into the atmosphere every year through generation of clean and renewable energy.

Ankush Chhabria, the man behind the project, told The New Times that they started construction in June 2015 and finished last August.

"From August it took us three months for equipment installation and for the last month or so we have been in the testing phase. The plant is ready for commissioning and hopefully with the support of the utility we be commissioning in the next 10 days,” Chhabria said.

The Managing Director of Novel Energy says they created around 10 full time jobs and during construction, at peak 150 to 200 people worked at the site.

"Besides basic impact of rural community earning by working at the site we also saw people buy cows and realized that the social impact has been way beyond just daily wages. We are connected to the Mukungwa line which I believe also provides electricity to the nearby villages.” Rice Husk to Power

Chhabria is also involved with another unique FONERWA-supported pilot project in which a 70 kW Rice Husk to Power Project is constructed in Nyagatare District next to the Nyagatare Rice Company milling facility.

The project introduces the rice husk gasification for power generation technology.

Chhabria said: "The technology is from India and currently we have only showcased the use of rice husk. However with continual the support of the government authorities, technical institutes, utility and FONERWA we would like to showcase the use of more available raw materials through this system for conversion to electricity.

"Rwanda has several raw materials that can be gasified to generate electricity such as bamboo, coffee husk, cinema cobs and several others. We are hoping to mainstream this technology so that it is made ready for adoption across all villages in the country.”

Rice husks contain Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, a hazardous chemical compound and this makes it unsuitable to be used as fodder. As a result, it is noted, rice millers across Rwanda and around the world face challenges with the disposal of husks.

This pilot project aims to convert approximately 600 tonnes of rice husk per year into 453 MWh of electric units without damaging the environment and help reduce 437 tonnes of Co2-e from being emitted into the atmosphere every year by the generation of clean and renewable energy.

Chhabria said: "Biomass power is on demand electricity unlike solar and hydro which are cyclical due to variability in the resource. Hence, biomass power is an apt technology for rural electrification. In India several villages run on success systems through mini-grids and Rwanda is currently focusing on connectivity through mini-grids.”

"Since the technology is new to Rwanda, with all stakeholders support we can surely get it to every remote village to achieve the fastest levels of electrification.”

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