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PRESS RELEASE - Interconnection PSC and PTC Inaugral Meeting
19 September 2011
The first Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting for the Multinational Interconnection of Electric Grids of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries Project will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on September 22, 2011. The project covers; Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
The PSC meeting will be preceded by the Project Technical Committee (PTC) meeting to be held on 20th - 21st September 2011. It is made up of the Directors-General/Directors of the energy sector in the Ministry of Energy as well as Director-Generals/Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officer of National Electricity Companies in charge of transmission in each country is expected to discuss the recommendations to be made by the PTC meeting and follow up on the implementations of actions agreed upon. The issues on the agenda pertain; in particular, to the Interconnection project progress, harmonization and project operationalization issues and exchange of experiences, challenges and charting cooperative way forward. The meeting will also highlight the policy guidance that the program requires.
In addition, the PSC meeting will elect the chair of the PSC meeting who will hold the position for one year. It is a tradition within NBI to rotate this position on an annual basis among Member States in alphabetical order.
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Background
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is a partnership of the Nile Basin Countries - Burundi, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda (Eritrea is an Observer) - to Achieve sustainable socio-economic development through equitable utilization of and the benefits from the common Nile Basin water resources.
Formally launched on 22 February 1999 in Dar e salaam, Tanzania by the Council of Ministers of Water Affairs of the Nile Basin states, the Initiative provides a unique forum for the countries of the Nile to move forward a cooperative process to realize tangible benefits in the Basin and build a solid foundation of trust and confidence.
NBI has a Strategic Action Program made up of complementary programs: the basin wide Shared Vision Program (SVP) to build confidence and capacity across the basin, and two Subsidiary Action Programs (SAPs) to initiate concrete investments and action on the ground in the Eastern Nile and Nile Equatorial Lakes sub-basins. SVP focuses on building regional institutions, capacity and trust as the foundation for unlocking the development potential of the Nile, which will be realized through concrete investments carried out under the SAPs.
Among the major achievements of the NBI is the establishment of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP). The Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) is one of two investment programs under the Nile Basin Initiative. NELSAP countries include: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. NELSAP promotes investments in power development, power transmission interconnection and power trade, water resources management, management of lakes and fisheries, agricultural development, and control of water hyacinth.
NELSAP has demonstrated effectiveness in the coordination of multi-country preparation of complex regional projects. Twelve projects identified under the initial track of cooperative projects are now being prepared and some have reached implementation stage.
One of the NELSAP Power Projects is the Multinational Interconnection of Electric Grids of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries Project.which is multinational in nature and consists of construction of 220 and 110 KV transmission lines and Substations to interconnect the electricgrids of the Nile Equatorial Lakes (NBI) countries of Burundi, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC), Rwanda and Uganda. The project will interconnect Lessos-Tororo(Uganda)-Bujagali (Uganda); Mbarara (Uganda)-Mirama (Uganda) –Shango (Rwanda) – Birembo (Rwanda)-Gisenyi –Goma (DRC)-Ruzizi III Hydropower station – Bujumbura (Burundi) and Rwegoma (Rwanda)-Gitega (Burundi). The project seeks toimprove the living conditions of the people, as well as the quality of the socioeconomic development environment of the region, based on the
availability of affordable electric energy and access by the communities to electricity through increased cross-border electric power trade.NELSAP has to date mobilised about USD 383 million for the Project from African Development Bank, JICA of the Government of Japan,Government of Germany through KFW and Government of the Netherlands. African Development Bank is the lead financier.
For more information:
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1. Grania Rosette Rubomboras – Project Manager, NELSAP-CU P.O. Box 6759, Kigali-Rwanda Tel: +250788382792 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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2. Elimasia Mngumi Development Communication Officer Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program Tel: +250-783153476 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;
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The 3rd Meeting of Energy Ministers from Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania held in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure of Rwanda hosted the 3rd Meeting of Energy Ministers from Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania at the Lemigo Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda on 16th May 2011 under the theme “Rusumo Falls Project: towards materializing the people’s aspiration.”.
The meeting was preceded by a technical meeting of the Project Implementation Committee held on 15 May 2011. The PIC which is the steering committee assists the ministers in directing and supervising the preparation and implementation of the Rusumo project which is in essence Transboundary, cooperatively developed and run by member countries of Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania in line with the NBI policies and programs. The PIC operates through the NELSAP Coordination Unit (NELSAP CU) which facilitates the preparation process, manages financial resources and builds sub-regional capacity for continued preparation and implementation of projects.
The Regional Rusumo Falls Hydropower Plant and Multipurpose Project
The Project
The Rusumo Falls project includes the following main components:
1. A dam and hydro-electric power station of about 90 MW on the Kagera River at the Rusumo Falls located on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania;
2. Power lines connecting the power plant to the electricity grids of Burundi (Gitega), Rwanda (Shango) and Tanzania (Nyakanazi).
The facility takes advantage of the natural falls at Rusumo. The Kagera River will be dammed and a water reservoir with a capacity of 90MW will be established upstream of the falls, near the international bridge at the border between Rwanda and Tanzania. The power facilities will be located on the right bank of the Kagera River in Tanzania, while the river diversion channel and substation will be located on the left bank, in Rwanda.
Read more: The Regional Rusumo Falls Hydropower Plant and Multipurpose Project
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