Rwanda

Geochemical sampling

Energy sector

Traditionally Rwanda relied on two sources of energy: biomass and hydropower. Due to severe droughts in 2004 and missing alternative energy sources the country was particularly hit by supply shortages. Additional obstacles were insufficient planning for power generation, limited network maintenance or investment and the lack of capacity building for local staff. The government subsidizes the energy sector in order to ensure an affordable electricity tariff for the population. The government partly paid for the capacity charges, rented diesel generators and fuel costs. Today the supply of electricity has been stabilized and hardly any unplanned power cuts occur. The government has managed to expand electricity access by 160% between 2008 and 2011. According to the government’s expansion plan, an installed capacity of 1160 MW is planned for 2017, which comprises besides 340 MW of hydropower, 300 MW methane-based power, 200 MW peat-based power and 20 MW of thermal plants also 310 MW of geothermal power. However, the total available power is still low, with a peak load of about 100 MW and a grid-connection-rate of 16% of all households.

Geothermal potential

According to previous studies, Rwanda may host two geothermal zones in the western branch of the East African Rift valley with a potential for electricity generation, estimated as high as 700 MW (KenGen). However, the country has no experience in geothermal resource exploration. In the 1980s geothermal springs in the western part of the country were investigated with geochemical methods by the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM). In 2006 a second preliminary assessment of two geothermal prospects (Gisenyi and Mashyuza) was carried out by Chevron.

Project

From November 2007 until June 2009 the Rwandan government has implemented a joint project with the BGR for the Virunga geothermal Prospect The study area is located in the triangle between the Democratic Republic Congo, Uganda and Rwanda between Lake Kivu and Lake Rohondo and covers about 600 km². A small part of the project area is part the Volcanoes National Park. This site had been selected as the most promising area for additional detailed geothermal assessment by the GEOTHERM Programme. In the frame of the joint project, a remote sensing survey with structural analysis, a geochemical and a geophysical survey was carried out. For Geophysics, 40 magnetotelluric Soundings (MT) and 34 Transient Electromagnetic Soundings (TEM) has been conducted, in collaboration with Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). All measurements were arranged in the entire study area in order to provide information in a regional scale. First geochemical results indicate the presence of a medium temperature geothermal system in the southwest of Karisimbi volcano, with estimated reservoir temperatures ranging from 105 to 140°C. In the results, presented in 2009, additional studies were suggested to define the exact position and depth of the heat source and of possible upflow and outflow areas.

Cooperation partners:

Rwandan Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA)
Rwanda Natural Resources Authority