New partnership to promote use of renewable energy

The Rwanda Housing Authority and a Korean firm, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) plan to include the use of renewable energy technologies within the urbanisation plan of Kigali City.During talks between the two parties yesterday, officials said all infrastructure put up in accordance with master plans will have a provision for low cost and renewable energy techniques that are friendly to the environment.“GGGI are a global body who do a lot of research in green energy and also provide modern technology that households and industries can employ. We decided to partner with them because they fit in our vision of having a very well planned urban city, which is also not destructive to the environment,” Esther Mutamba, the Director General of RHA said.“Rwanda is one of the countries with the lowest carbon emissions and we want to keep it that way. Given their experience, GGGI will recommend environment strategies which we will include in the construction codes of our country.”Officials from GGGI are currently in the country on a pilot survey about the country’s energy projects, after which they are expected to sign an MoU with RHA in August this year and commence the first phase of developing specific renewable energy projects.“We will provide technical assistance as well as knowledge about the use of low-carbon energy sources at household levels in order to decrease the rampant use of petroleum and charcoal,” Myung Kyoon Lee, a director at GGGI said.“It is important to keep Rwanda green by not felling its trees that protect against land degradation and climate change. We shall focus on integrating renewable energy strategies, such as peat energy, wind, and hydropower in the country’s settlement projects for sustainability,” he said.GGGI is a global institute dedicated to pioneering and diffusing renewable energy projects in key aspects of a country’s economic performance.

National

New partnership to promote use of renewable energy