Gishoma Thermal Power Station is a ,
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...
-fired thermal power plant, under construction in Gishoma,
Rusizi District
Rusizi is a district (''akarere'') in Western Province, Rwanda. Its capital is Cyangugu, the major city of the Rwandan south-west and the district contains large parts of the former Cyangugu Province.
Geography, flora and fauna
The district li ...
, in the
Western Province
Western Province or West Province may refer to:
* Western Province, Cameroon
*Western Province, Rwanda
*Western Province (Kenya)
*Western Province (Papua New Guinea)
*Western Province (Solomon Islands)
*Western Province, Sri Lanka
*Western Provin ...
of
Rwanda.
Location
The power station is located in Gishoma, Rusizi District, in Rwanda's Western Province, approximately , by road, southwest of the city of
Kigali, the capital and largest city in the country.
Overview
As part of efforts to diversify the national energy generation sources, and in view of the considerable deposits of
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...
in the country, the
government of Rwanda
The politics of Rwanda reflect Belgian and German civil law systems and customary law takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic, whereby the President of Rwanda is the head of state with significant executive power, with the Pr ...
, through its wholly owned parastatal ''Energy Water and Sanitation Authority'' (EWSA), contracted ''Shengli Energy Group Limited, a Chinese company, to build Gishoma Thermal Power Station, under the supervision of an Indian firm, ''Punj Lloyd Limited''.
The peat to fuel the power station would be extracted from the Gishoma marshes, close to where the power station is located. Peat Energy Company, a private Rwandan peat mining and supply company, contracted with EWSA to supply the raw material.
After the construction contract had been awarded, it became clear that mistakes had been made in the design of the power station, the feasibility estimates and the sourcing of water needed for the power station to operate.
It has recently come to the attention of the planners, that the Gishoma marshes peat reserves can only sustain the 15MW plant for a maximum of five years. At that time the plant would either be relocated, or peat would have to be trucked in from remote Rwandan sites.
Timetable and funding
The construction of this power station was originally budgeted to cost US$36 million (about Rwf24.8 billion), borrowed from the
Bank of Kigali
Bank of Kigali (BK) is a commercial bank in Rwanda. It is licensed by the National Bank of Rwanda.
Location
The headquarters and main branch of the bank are located at 6112 KN4 Avenue, in Nyarugenge District, in the city of Kigali, the capital a ...
, Rwanda's largest commercial bank by assets.
Despite the delays and miscalculations, the power station was expected to come online in August 2016.
The power plant came online in April 2017.
See also
*
List of power stations in Rwanda
The following page lists all power stations in Rwanda. The country is in the midst of a rapid expansion of its electrical grid and many new plants are proposed or under construction. Rwanda is planning to expand its grid power up to 556 MW in 2024. ...
*
Energy in Rwanda Energy use in Rwanda is undergoing rapid change at the beginning of the 21st century.
Electricity Network
The extent of grid electricity is limited and mainly concentrated near Kigali. Most of the country uses firewood as its main energy source.
...
References
{{reflist
External links
Rwanda welcomes Africa’s first peat power plant
2017 establishments in Rwanda
Peat-fired power stations in Rwanda
Western Province, Rwanda
Energy infrastructure completed in 2017