The government has reiterated its commitment to increase energy supply by 16% come 2012 which it will hopes to boost economic and industrial activities in the country.

This was revealed yesterday by Coletha Ruhamya the State Minister in charge of Energy and Water, while speaking to The New times.

"We target to have 16 percent of the population connected to electricity and other energy sources,” she said. Ruhamya added that, the programme for increasing energy access to Rwandans has already started and they have hired many experts to implement the programme.
"We have already secured some funds and we have a target to achieve every month concerning the speeding up of the energy programme,” she stressed.

"RECO (Rwanda Electricity Corporation) used to use their internal sources, but we have now procured materials for the project”.

About solar energy, Ruhamya said that it is in progress and they plan to connect 300 schools with the energy.

She also highlighted on two hydropower plants under construction; Nyabarongo Hydropower plant in Ngororero District in Western Province and Rukarara Hydropower plant in Nyamagabe District in the Southern Province.

Ruhamya underscored that Rukarara, a small Hydropower Project which will generate 9.5MW is 95 percent of complete and installation of transmission lines of 30 kV (8KM long) is almost complete.

For Nyabarongo, a plant which is expected to generate 27.5 MW, she said that the construction is being done by a consortium of two Indian companies; Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Angelique International, since May 2009, the construction cost amounts to USD 97.7 million and is expected to be completed in February 2013.

She said that, other energy alternatives like geothermal, methane gas and petroleum oil are being explored.

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