Rwanda plans to add 523.73 megawatts to its electricity generation capacity by 2029, with solar power expected to provide more than half of the planned increase, the infrastructure minister told senators Tuesday.
Damien Murwanashyaka said the expansion would help diversify the country’s energy sources and address shortages that can occur during the dry season when declining water levels reduce hydropower generation.
He told the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs and Finance that the country currently has 472 MW of generation capacity, according to the Rwanda Energy Group (REG).
Of the additional capacity planned by the end of the National Strategy for Transformation 2 period in 2029, 300 MW will come from solar, 165 MW from methane gas and 58.76 MW from hydropower.
Murwanashyaka said some of the projects were already progressing well, with several having passed the 50% completion mark.
“We have the capacity needed and we are working on it so that by 2029 this problem will have been resolved,” he said, referring to electricity shortages during the dry season.
He said low water levels can cause hydropower production to fall to nearly half its normal output, making alternative sources increasingly important.
The government is also developing electricity-storage solutions that would allow solar power generated during the day to be stored and used when demand rises or generation from other sources falls.
“We are working on a system where we take electricity generated during the day and store it so that it can be used when needed,” Murwanashyaka said.
Senator Fulgence Nengiyumva, chairman of the committee, suggested that REG could use diesel generators to address dry-season shortages. Murwanashyaka said diesel was not a sustainable option because of its high costs.
Over the next five years, the government plans to prioritise hydropower, solar, methane gas and peat, while nuclear energy is expected to enter testing after 2030.
The government also plans to work with private companies to manufacture more energy equipment locally, including cables and solar components.
Meanwhile, electricity access has reached about 88% of households. The government aims to reach 100% by 2029, while 25 cells that remain without electricity are expected to be connected by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.
