Regional body to mobilise over $640m in energy investments

The Nile Equatorial Subsidiary Action Plan (NELSAP) announced it is planning to mobilise regional energy investments to the tune of US$ 641 million. NELSAP is one of the investment programmes under the Nile Basin Initiative with a mandate of promoting investments in power development and trade, water resources management, management of lakes, fisheries and watersheds and agricultural trade and productivity.Speaking at the commencement of the World Water Week celebrations, NELSAP Regional assistant Project Manager, Kagera River Basin Project, Innocent Kabenga, revealed that investments mobilised to date was US$397 million. “This year, there is a need to mobilise US$244m to implement the initial set of investment projects. With adequate mobilisation, we expect the total investments to rise to US$641 million by the end of this year,” said Kabega.Currently, NELSAP projects in Rwanda include Kagera River Basin Management Project, Bugesera Trans-boundary Water Management Project and Rusumo Hydroelectric Power Plant, among others. Speaking at the event to mark the World Water Week, the Deputy Director General of Integrated Water Resources Management in RNRA, Vincent Kabalisa, highlighted the role of water resources in increasing and ensuring hydropower energy and food security among NBI member countries.“Our thinking today should focus on the role that water resources render to us,” Kabalisa said. “Food security can be threatened by the lack of water and energy, so, today, we should work together to ensure that no one sector is hurting another.” Kabalisa urged participants in the celebrations to understand the value of various projects that Nile Basin Initiative is implementing in its member countries.Commenting on the Rusumo Hydropower plant, officials said that once the electricity interconnection was complete, it would increase power production in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania by developing a common hydropower facility, along with associated transmission lines.

National

Regional body to mobilise over $640m in energy investments