80% of work on Rwanda's methane project completed

Eighty percent of the work on Rwanda' s KivuWatt Project in Karongi district has been completed with production expected in September, an official said. State minister for energy Emma Francoise Isumbingabo made the announcement Monday while touring the project with the African Development Bank (AfDB) President Donald Kaberuka. At least 25 megawatts will be added to the national electricity grid from methane gas extraction in September this year, the minister said. "Eighty percent of the work under phase one is done and at least by September, production should be starting," Isumbingabo said. Isumbingabo expressed disappointment that the project which was initially supposed to be completed in January 2012, had taken longer than expected due to financial, technical and environmental challenges. Rwanda aims to ensure 70 percent of the households connected to electricity by 2017. Currently only 18 percent of Rwandan households have access to electricity. The KivuWatt project started in 2009 and it is managed by Contour Global Company which signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Rwandan government. The project, partly financed by the AfDB, has so far invested 180 million U.S. dollars.