Current Overview of Renewable Energy Resources in Rwanda

Abstract

This paper reviews the energy sector in Rwanda with an accent on Renewable Energy. In Rwanda, energy sector plays a vital role in supporting socio-economic evolution and has a close connection to the growth of other economic sectors. The country has both renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Energy policies of the country give special attention to the use of modern, clean and energy efficient technologies. Most of Electricity in Rwanda comes from renewable sources: The total currently installed electricity capacity is 160 MW (March 2015), of which approximately more than 60% comes from hydrological resources along with other indigenous sources and less than 40% comes from diesel-powered generators. The current on-grid access to electricity is estimated at 23% of households and off-grid is 1.5%. Rwanda has envisaged increasing electric power supply by maximizing use of various indigenous energy resources and reach its ambitious target of 563 MW (domestic generation + imports) with electricity access of 70% (on-grid and off-grid) by the end of 2018. However, several challenges laying behind the development in the electric energy sector and utilization of renewable energy resources should be addressed. Challenges to be tackled and measures to be taken to achieve this goal have been presented in this study.