Way forward for methane to be discussed — official

Officials from ContourGlobal and the government will this month engage in high level discussions concerning the methane gas extraction in Lake Kivu, Minister of Infrastructure, Silas Lwakabamba, has said.The discussions will revolve around getting clearer updates and agreeing on deadlines, as well as seeking solutions to challenges facing the methane-to-power project, which is expected to boost Rwanda’s electricity grid.“We shall discuss several issues. The project has had a few challenges, so we need to forge a way forward,” the minister said in a phone interview.The Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) has contractual arrangements with ContourGlobal/KivuWatt in form of a Power Purchase Agreement to produce electricity from methane gas on Lake Kivu. Last week, ContourGlobal shipped in 160 tonnes of steel to support the barge floating on Lake Kivu to extract and treat methane gas. The development is an indication that the project is running smoothly, according to CountourGlobal officials.“The equipment that was flown in last week will support the pipe work and enable the process to work by holding the platforms. We are building isolation, safety and relief valves for solid methane-to-power designs,” Richard Wilcock, Senior vice-president, Engineering Services at ContourGlobal, said at the weekend.The floating pipeline will also enable the transportation of fuel gas ashore from the barges on Kivu.Despite financial hitches that derailed the project’s initial stages, Kivuwatt, a subsidiary of Contour Global with a 25-year concession deal on Lake Kivu, announced earlier this year that Rwanda’s electricity grid would be boosted by 25 megawatts from the methane gas project by March.

National

Way forward for methane to be discussed — official