Ruzizi III Hydroelectric Power Station


Ruzizi III Hydroelectric Power Station is a proposed hydropower plant with planned capacity installation of when completed.

Location

The power station is located on Ruzizi River, straddling the common border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its location is approximately, as the crow flies, west of the town of Bugarama, in Rusizi District, in Rwanda's Western Province, approximately, southwest of Kigali, the capital city of that country. The approximate coordinates of Ruzizi III Power Station are:

Overview

This power station is the third in a cascade of power stations on the Ruzizi River, benefiting the countries of Burundi, DRC and Rwanda. The power stations include Ruzizi I and Ruzizi II, both located northwest of Ruzizi III and both operational as of June 2017. The power generated will be distributed to the three countries via existing distribution networks, connected to Ruzizi I and Ruzizi II. Both power stations and the transmission networks will be rehabilitated. Rwanda is expected to absorb 50 megawatts of the 147 megawatts generated at Ruzizi III.

Funding

As of December 2015, the cost of construction was calculated at US$625.19 million. Of this, "US$ 138.88 million will be borne by the AfDB’s public sector window and US$ 50.22 million by the private sector window". Other funders include the European Investment Bank, KfW and the World Bank. More recent reports have put the cost at $450 million. Financial closure is expected to be achieved by mid-2021.