Construction works of the 80MW  Rusumo Falls hydropower project which is funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank is set to begin next year. The construction project will be located at Rusumo Falls along Rwanda-Tanzania border . The announcement comes after the families who were living in the area were relocated.

 

“Holding other factors constant, the civil works should start in the first quarter of 2016,” said William Katete, the Communications Officer of the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project.

 

The governments of Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania jointly agreed on this project which is fully funded by the World Bank and African Development Bank (AFDB). World Bank contributed US$ 340m, while US$130m for the construction of the transmission lines and substations was obtained from the African Development Bank and extended to the three countries.

 

The costs of the construction project which totals to US$ 470m will be constructed in two phases where the first phase will involve the construction of the power plant and the second will entail installation of high voltage transmission lines.

 

The transmission lines are anticipated to transport both imported and exported power from Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania once the plant is complete.

 

The tendering process to select firms to construct the dam is now in the pre-qualification stage with commissioning expected to be done in 2019.

 

Each of the three countries will receive 26.6MW of power.

 

The power station is on the Kagera River, along Rwanda’s international border with the Republic of Tanzania and approximately 2Km downstream of the tripoint, where the two countries share a common border with the Republic of Burundi.

Source : CONSTRUCTION REVIEW