27
Nov

Shema Gas Methane Power Plant is being built near the Lake Kivu by the British company Shema Power Lake Kivu Ltd, and is being built in Busoro Cell, Nyamyumba Sector, Rubavu District.

Kabuto Alexis, the company's Chief Executive Officer, said that all the necessary equipment had been purchased, that construction works are underway and that the plant is in a hurry to start generating electricity as soon as possible.

"All the equipment needed to complete the plant have been purchased, the materials are on way to Kigali from the port of Mombasa, construction work is well underway, and we hope that by April 2021 we will have started supplying electricity on the main grid," disclosed Kabuto.

Kabuto says construction of the Shema gas methane power plant will cost $ 220 million, which is about Rwf215 billion and that all the budget is available.

He added that the plant will initially employ 500 workers, including 150 expatriates and another 350 Rwandans.

According to the agreement between Shema Power Lake Kivu Ltd and Rwanda Energy Group, power generation will be completed in different phases. The first phase will start production in April 2021 where the plant will be producing 14 megawatts while other 42 megawats will be gradually added till the full completion of the power plant in 2022.

Kabuto also appreciated the Government support to the company’s investment including the provision of land where the plant is being built, construction of electrical lines to supply the plant and evacuate power to be produced, construction of water supply infrastructure as well as macadam roads to ease access to the dam. 

The Rubavu District Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Nzabonimpa Deogratias, says that the road to the dam is currently under construction by the Rwandan Government, and construction is is expected to be completed by March 2021, one month before this plant begins to supply electricity to the grid.

Construction of the dam began in 2015 with the American company Symbion Energy, and sold the plant to Shema Power Lake Kivu Ltd in 2018.

Kabuto says their company will be extracting gas methane to produce electricity and that no cooking gas will be processed.