SinoHydro of China has announced that it will invest $214 million into the Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant in Rwanda, boosting the country’s effort to achieve universal access to electricity by 2024. The 43.5 MW plant is expected to be operational by 2024. According to the Energy Development Corporation Limited (EDCL), once complete, the project will contribute 11.5 per cent of the total electricity on the national grid.
In addition to electricity generation, Théoneste Higaniro, Head of Power Generation Projects Implementation at EDCL, said that the dam would also be used for flood control, irrigation schemes, and for reclaiming land for agricultural activities downstream. It is estimated that the project will create 900 direct and indirect jobs.