12
Mar

Rubavu, March 12, 2022 - Hon. Dr. Ernest NSABIMANA, Minister of Infrastructure together with H.E Bert Versmessen, the Ambassador of Belgium to Rwanda, officially inaugurated the completed upgrade of the electrical distribution network in Rubavu District, funded by the Kingdom of Belgium.  

Rwanda's energy sector continues to grow in all chain of power supply, from electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. Rwanda’s prime targets by the year 2024 include 100% access to electricity in Rwanda, increased country’s installed generation capacity as well as a strengthened distribution and transmission network reducing power losses and outages. Today, about 68.48% of Rwandan households have access to electricity. 

From the year 2014, the Kingdom of Belgium, through Enabel, has been financing various energy interventions- each aiming to expand and strengthen the electricity services in Rwanda. This includes €39 million grant support to the Government of Rwanda’s electrification program with a particular aim of facilitating the greater access to reliable, affordable and improved electricity services to households and public institutions in the country. 

The government acknowledges the intervention, over 1,000 kilometers of power distribution lines have been built and over 50,000 new connections have been made to the national grid, particularly in the Eastern Province. The last phase of the intervention has focused on improving electricity supply by upgrading existing electrical network in the Eastern Province and Western parts of Rwanda.

In Rubavu District, the project upgraded the old existing distribution network from 6.6 kV to 30 kV by upgrading 20 distribution cabins and installing 20 distribution transformers as well as building 14 kilometers of Medium Voltage Lines and 34.7 kilometers of Low Voltage Lines. The project also installed streetlights on different roads in the city center of Gisenyi Sector in Rubavu District at a distance of 7.2 kilometers. 

H.E Bert Versmessen, the Ambassador of Belgium to Rwanda, said that the Kingdom of Belgium is proud to contribute to Rwanda’s infrastructure development. “Over 1000 kilometers of electricity network has already been constructed and upgraded under the Belgian electricity programme in Rwanda. Over 250,000 people - who previously had no or limited access to electricity - are now benefiting from a reliable and affordable power supply. These are concrete, tangible results which are of course part of a bigger picture. Indeed, Rwanda has seen a remarkable achievement in electricity access in recent years. Belgium is proud to have been part of this amazing journey”. He said. 

The Minister of Infrastructure said that much has been registered through this particular partnership accelerating projects as a drive to achieve economic development goals. “I would like to express the Government of Rwanda’s gratitude towards the support given by the Kingdom of Belgium in the development of Rwanda’s infrastructure sector and many other sectors. This intervention has not only enabled us to increase access to electricity, but it has also helped us to renovate and upgrade our existing networks to ensure effective and quality power supply”. The Minister noted.