Indian engineering firm Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) has been awarded a contract in Rwanda to set up the Nyaborongo Hydroelectric Power Project in Kigali. The contract includes the turnkey execution of the hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical packages for the project, which is comprised of two generating units of 14 MW each.
The project is being funded under a line of credit issued to Rwanda by the Indian government. The line of credit, approved in 2007, is for $80 million from the Exim Bank of India. $20 million was already made available in October 2007.
According to BHEL it will supply major equipment for the project such as hydro turbines, generators, transformers, controls, monitoring and protection system, and switchgear.
Like many African nations Rwanda faces power shortages and blackouts are a common occurrence. Neighboring countries have been able to aid the country with its power woes, but considering that they themselves are having trouble staying lit-up, the amount routed to Rwanda is very small.
The Rwandan government has enacted another set of options to aid in its power security such as thermal generators, a solar plant outside Kigali, and wind energy projects.
"To address our energy needs and help alleviate one of the infrastructure bottlenecks of growth, we intend to construct a hydro-electric power plant at Nyabarongo," the government wrote in a Letter of Intent to the International Monetary Fund in May.
Officials said the overall cost of the project will be $112.7 million.