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Rwanda

Official Name:
Republic of Rwanda

National Designated Entity

Type of organisation:
Name:
Faustin Munyazikwiye
Position:
Director of Climate Change and International Obligations
Emails:
fmunyazikwiye@rema.gov.rw

Energy profile

Rwanda (2012)

Type: 
Energy profile
Energy profile
Extent of network

In 2009, approximately 7% of the population had access to electricity, in total. Of the 90% of the population who live in rural areas, only 1% had access to electricity.Grid extension has been extremely limited, and economically justified only to meet rural industrial loads and emerging population clusters. The electricity grid consists of 3,300 km of 110 kV, 70 kV, 30 kV and 15 kV lines, with the primary concentration of grid connections running from the West to the North of the country.

Renewable energy potential

Solar energy Average horizontal irradiation is 5.5 kWh/ m2/day. Rwanda is also home to the largest single solar installation in Africa - the Kigali Solair plant- which generates 250 kW and feeds into the national electricity grid. The plant was funded by the German municipal power company Stadtwerke Mainz, and installed by Juwi in 2008.Wind energy The Ministry of Energy recently commissioned a feasibility study to determine the wind power capacity of Rwanda. This National Wind Atlas is being developed with the help of the Belgian government. Wind energy is currently exploited only in decentralised off-grid applications.Biomass energy An estimated 2.3 million tons of wood fuel are consumed in the country annually. The Rwanda Energy Management Authority (REMA) estimates that Rwanda has a deficit of 4 million cubic metres of wood fuel, due to extensive deforestation, and over-reliance on biomass for heating and light in rural areas. Also, as the majority of rural biomass is foraged, market mechanisms to improve the quality of fuel will be slow to take effect. Fuel-wood caps are to be imposed in several districts of the country to combat this. Aforestation measures, accompanied by a concurrent reduction in biomass consumption, aim to increase the forested area of the country to 23.5% by 2012. The country also has significant peat reserves, estimated at 155 million tonnes in 2008. GIZ are supporting the development of the National Biogas Development Program, which aims to install upwards of 15,000 biogas digesters for schools and farming households, to provide biogas for cooking and lighting, and reduce dependence on fuel-wood. Plans have also been put in place to increase national annual biodiesel production to 16 million litres, and install an additional 1 MW of biogas-fired power capacity.Geothermal energy Potential exists for between 170 – 320 MW of geothermal power generation, due to the country's proximity to the geothermal resource of the Great Rift Valley. Studies have indicated thermal waters with temperatures of up to 150ºC.Hydropower Hydropower potential in the country is estimated to be 500 MW, with only 72 MW having been exploited.The country has substantial hydroelectric resources, as well as natural gas deposits under Lake Kivu, which could make Rwanda self-sufficient in electricity, or even a net exporter. But the development of natural gas power plants, or new dam construction, requires both time and investment. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Infrastructure is financing 11 hydropower plants with installed capacities from 100 kW to 9.5 MW. GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, formerly GTZ) are also providing support to MININFRA for the promotion of SMEs in the small-hydro sector. Three companies have currently commissioned small-hydro projects, with a combined capacity of 755 kW, with a further 3.6 MW under consideration from 10 other projects. By 2015, the Government hopes to have promoted an additional 45 MW of small-hydro capacity in the country.

Energy framework

Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS)The EDPRS covers the period 2008-2012, and is the medium-term framework for achieving the country’s long term development aspirations as embodied in the Rwanda Vision 2020, and the intermediate targets of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Energy Sector Strategy has been developed to support sustained growth in the economy, and raise the standard of living for the Rwandan people by improving access to modern forms of energy at the household level. Objectives include the grid-electrification of 16% of the populace, as well as the provision of reliable electricity supply, through either on- or off-grid measures, to 100% of health centres and 50% of schools. Other objectives include a revision of the currently-outdated tariff structure to better reflect costs, and the establishment of a favourable legal and institutional framework for increased private sector participation. New laws for the electricity and gas sectors are currently being discussed in Parliament.National Energy Policy 2008The Energy Policy for Rwanda which was updated in November 2008 laid down the Government’s commitment to the development and utilisation of renewable energy resources and technologies and energy efficiency promotion. National Energy Strategy (2008-2020)The principal objective of the energy sector is to contribute to accelerated sustainable socio-economic development. A number of objectives for the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency are included in the strategy. These include; the further diversification of energy sources, including exploitation of the country’s geothermal potential and the increased use of solar water heaters; the increased use of CFLs in households and businesses to reduce energy consumption, energy auditing for industries, and information campaigns on good energy management practices.Government policy to promote rural electricity access is primarily based on the extension of the transmission and distribution network, operated by the EWSA. However, where customers are not centralised enough for economic grid extension, solar PV, generators or hydropower may be offered through private suppliers. The Electricity Access Roll-out Program (EARP), jointly-operated by the EWSA and MININFRA (and supported by a number of development partners, including the ADB, the Belgian Government, the JICA and the World Bank), is the implementing program for grid and off-grid electricity access improvements, as set out in the EDPRS.

Source
Static Source:
  • INDC of Rwanda

    Type: 
    National Plan
    Type of National plan:
    Country:
    Rwanda

    Emission reductions from projected emissions resulting from the deviation of BAU emissions for the year 2030 based on policies /actions conditional on availability of international support for finance, technology and capacity building. The INDC also includes a section on Adaptation.

  • Capacity Building hub for Sustainable Energy

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:

    The capacity building hub collaborates with global stakeholders and institutions across the energy value chain, and leverages their mutual strengths to foster attainment of the ambitious goals. The hub undertakes a demand-driven approach to catalyze change. It is a special-purpose vehicle that facilitates - awareness generation/sensitization, knowledge assimilation and dissemination, design and delivery of programmes of change, and identification of research gaps.

  • Lighting a Billion Lives

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:

    Lighting a Billion Lives is a global initiative to facilitate clean energy access and the delivery of last mile energy services for basic and productive use. The initiative enables energy poor communities to transition from traditional and inefficient energy sources to modern, more efficient and sustainable energy solutions. The initiative accelerates market development for clean energy technologies through knowledge sharing, capacity building and market seeding.

  • GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment)

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:

    GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is a rating tool that helps people assesses the performance of their building against certain nationally acceptable benchmarks. It evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’. The rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, seeks to strike a balance between the established practices and emerging concepts, both national and international.

  • Specialized Library on Climate Change

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:

    The Specialized Library on Climate Change houses wide array of resources on climate change related issues, both in print and electronic form. The website provides information about all the resources and services offered by the library. The library catalogue of print and electronic resources and database of literature abstracts can be accessed on-line. Current awareness services like listing of new arrivals and compilation of latest news and events are also provided on-line.

  • ENVIS Centre on Renewable Energy and Environment

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:
    Objective:
    Sectors:

    The major objectives of the ENVIS Centre are collection and dissemination of information in order to support and promote research, development and innovation among researcher, policy makers, academics and other stakeholders. The Centre is actively engaged in data gaps identification and bridging, resource generation and data collection, capacity-building and information dissemination activities.

  • Good Practice Study on GHG-Inventories for the Waste Sector in Non-Annex l Countries

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:
    Objective:
    Sectors:

    The study aims to provide comprehensive guidance to policy makers and practitioners in developing countries [Non-Annex I countries to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)] for the preparation of national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories for the waste sector. Though GHG emissions from the waste sector are still comparatively low compared to other sectors, they are continuously rising in developing countries due to changing production and consumption patterns. Experience shows that emissions from this sector can be reduced significantly at relatively low costs.

  • Broschüre “Cool bleiben: Das Spannungsfeld zwischen Wachstum, Kühlung und Klimawandel“

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:
    Objective:

    1. Steigender Energiebedarf und ein Recht auf Kühlung? Darf es ihn geben, den Anspruch auf eine Klimaanlage und einen Kühlschrank – ähnlich wie das Recht auf eine Heizung? 2. Kühle Kette für eine gesunde Versorgung Nach Schätzungen der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) verderben durchschnittlich 30 Prozent, in tropischen Ländern sogar 50 Prozent der Lebensmittel mangels angemessener Lagerung. 3. Grüne Technik und Wertschöpfung Das Zauberwort heißt Ressourceneffizienz. Der Schlüssel in der Kältetechnik dafür sind natürliche Gase. 4.

  • Buenas Practicas de refrigeración

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:
    Objective:

    This manual should provide professional guidance on how to service and maintain refrigeration systems operating with new technology, e.g. ozone- and climate-friendly alternative refrigerants to CFCs and HCFCs. It addresses essential know-how on containment of HFC refrigerants which have a high global warming potential (GWP) and provides information on the safe use of environmental-friendly natural refrigerants, such as CO2, ammonia or hydrocarbons.

  • Cool und nachhaltig: Kühlung in der internationalen Zusammenarbeit

    Type: 
    Publication
    Publication date:
    Objective:

    Kühlschrank und Klimaanlage – sie stehen ganz oben auf der Wunschliste von Menschen in heißen Ländern. Bis zum Jahr 2030 rechnet die Internationale Energieagentur (IEA) mit einem viermal höheren Energiebedarf für Klimatisierung in den Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern im Vergleich zu heute. Auch werden oft chemisch hergestellte Gase als Kühlmittel eingesetzt. Sie schädigen die Ozonschicht und treiben den Klimawandel voran. Grüne Technologien nutzen hingegen natürliche Gase zur Kälteerzeugung, sind energieeffizienter und können mit Sonnen- oder Windkraft betrieben werden.