Rwanda launches east Africa’s first utility-scale solar energy project

[Talkandtalk]

The first utility-scale solar energy project in the whole of East Africa - Gigawatt Global's 8.5 megawatt (MW) solar project at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village - is now online.

The completion of the project boosted Rwanda's total electric grid capacity by ~6%. The project represents the first instance of a utility-scale project reaching financial closure and coming online under the Africa Clean Energy Finance program.

The $23.7 million solar energy project was officially brought online at a ceremony on February 5th. The ceremony was attended by important public figures, such as Rwanda's Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. James Musoni, and the Chief of Staff of the US Government's Overseas Private Investment Corporation, John Morton, amongst others.

"Top quality developers like Gigawatt Global are the keys to success for President Obama's Power Africa Initiative," stated Elizabeth Littlefield, President and CEO of OPIC. "After OPIC provided critical early-stage support through the ACEF program, Gigawatt smoothly and swiftly brought the project online to give Rwanda enough grid-connected power to supply 15,000 homes. Gigawatt Global in Rwanda is a clear demonstration that solar will be a key part of Africa'senergy solution."

The managing director and co-founder of Gigawatt Global, Chaim Motzen, stated: "Our project proves the viability of financing and building large-scale solar fields in sub-Saharan Africa, and we hope that this solar field serves as a catalyst for many more sustainable energy projects in the region. The speed with which this project was completed is a tribute to the strength of the Rwandan government's institutions and their laser-focus on increasing Rwanda's generation capacity as well as to the nimbleness of our team and partners which spanned eight countries."

As mentioned before, this project was constructed on land owned by the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village - which was put together to support some of Rwanda's "most vulnerable children orphaned before and after the Rwandan genocide."

The agreement between Gigawatt Global and the Village is that the leasing fees provided by the project will be used to pay for some of the Village's expenses. Gigawatt Global will also reportedly be providing solar energy technology training to some of the students at the Liquidnet High School on the grounds of the Village.

Source:cleantechnica

 

[jMali]

Talkandtalk

hahahaha, are you sure ni Gigawatts au ni megawatts? maana watutsi kwa misifa tunawajua. baiskeli itaitwa pikipiki, corolla itaitwa benzi. Sijui sana mambo ya umeme ila hapo kwenye gigawatti bado kidoogo.
sana sana hizo ni 8.5MW, na kama ni MW basi nikufahamishe kuwa huku kwetu serikali haihangaiki na chini ya 10MW. Vimradi vidogo vidogo hivyo wameachiwa private sector ndio wanazalisha chini ya 10 MW chini ya mpango unaitwa small scale power... sijui nini nini....

cc: JustDoItNow nyumba kubwa Ngongo.
MOTOCHINI Kimweri mchambawima1

 

[Talkandtalk]

jMali
Then prove me wrong,kwenu (walikale DRC hata kibatari hakuna achilia mbali issue ya MW or GW electricity).
Kama unaongelea Tanzania then hongera looks like umeme umefikishwa kila sehemu kulingana na maelezo yako.
Kwetu ongezeko la 6% kwenye national grid ni jambo la kujivunia kama nyumba zaidi ya 15,000 zitapata umeme kutokana na mradi huu then we are happy for that, and we love these kind of stories more than FDRL press release posted by you

 

[jMali]

Then prove me wrong,kwenu (walikale DRC hata kibatari hakuna achilia mbali issue ya MW or GW electricity).
Kama unaongelea Tanzania then hongera looks like umeme umefikishwa kila sehemu kulingana na maelezo yako.
Kwetu ongezeko la 6% kwenye national grid ni jambo la kujivunia kama nyumba zaidi ya 15,000 zitapata umeme kutokana na mradi huu then we are happy for that, and we love these stories more than FDRL press release from you.

kwa hiyo ni Gigawatts kama ulivyoandika au actually ni vijimegawati 8 vya ugoro? jibu swali acha kuyeyusha.

 

[Talkandtalk]

kwa hiyo ni Gigawatts kama ulivyoandika au actually ni vijimegawati 8 vya ugoro? jibu swali acha kuyeyusha.

Hujui kusoma? megawatt unaitoa wapi

 

[yaliyomoyamo]

Jana nilikuwa naangalia VOA TV, shule za Rwanda kule Gisenyi zimekosa matundu ya vyoo vya shimo, mpaka aibu, ni sheeeda!

 

[jMali]

Hujui kusoma? megawatt unaitoa wapi

tatizo sio kusoma tatizo ni hiyo Gigawatt, i have a fairly good understanding of what it means, One gigawatt ni megawatt 1000. Kenya right now ina peak demand hata haifikii Gigawatti mbili (muulize MK254), wewe unadai eti karwanda kenu kameshawasha Gigawatti 8? Haya basi tufanye umeshinda eeh! mtutsi mzuri eeh! watutsi mna akili sana eeh! hahahahhaa. Mi nadhani nifunge mjadala na kuwapongeza watutsi kwa kuwa na umeme wa kuangaza EAC nzima! Nasubiria kesho udai kigali mabomba yanatoa maziwa!

cc:JustDoItNow nyumba kubwa Ngongo.
MOTOCHINI Kimweri mchambawima1

 

[murutongore]

tatizo sio kusoma tatizo ni hiyo Gigawatt, i have a fairly good understanding of what it means, One gigawatt ni megawatt 1000. Kenya right now ina peak demand hata haifikii Gigawatti mbili (muulize MK254), wewe unadai eti karwanda kenu kameshawasha Gigawatti 8? Haya basi tufanye umeshinda eeh! mtutsi mzuri eeh! watutsi mna akili sana eeh! hahahahhaa. Mi nadhani nifunge mjadala na kuwapongeza watutsi kwa kuwa na umeme wa kuangaza EAC nzima! Nasubiria kesho udai kigali mabomba yanatoa maziwa!

cc:JustDoItNow nyumba kubwa Ngongo.
MOTOCHINI Kimweri mchambawima1

What else can you say. Pole pole tu. Mwendo wa kobe. Tutafika. Nyie mlishaanza safari? Better yet...do you know where you are going? Mpaka siku ile mtakapojua mnakwenda wapi hamuwezi kuanza safari. Yangu macho. Hongera raisi wangu. Our official policy is ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

 

[jMali]

What else can you say. Pole pole tu. Mwendo wa kobe. Tutafika. Nyie mlishaanza safari? Better yet...do you know where you are going? Mpaka siku ile mtakapojua mnakwenda wapi hamuwezi kuanza safari. Yangu macho. Hongera raisi wangu. Our official policy is ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

kwa hiyo umekubali kiaina kuwa mwenzio muongo au na wewe unasisitiza Rwanda imewasha gigawatti 8? tuanzie hapo kwanza.

 

[murutongore]

kwa hiyo umekubali kiaina kuwa mwenzio muongo au na wewe unasisitiza Rwanda imewasha gigawatti 8? tuanzie hapo kwanza.

Kwa kupotezea tu, nakukubali.

 

[NullPointer]

Wamekosea kuandika Gigawatt its obvious kua ni Megawatt, 8 GigaWatt unajua inakua produced Kashiwazaki nuclear power plant, kubwa dunia nzima ipo Japan, solar panels chache hizo haziwezi toa kiwango hicho... Ila hongera kwa warwanda, kua green ni step nzuri, nyumba 15,000 si chache ukizingatia solar panels zenyewe hazihitaji maintanance kubwa na inakaa for up to 20years straight...

 

[jMali]

Kwa kupotezea tu, nakukubali.

kwa kupotezea kivipi na hizi ni FACTS sio mtazamo? FACT is mna megawatt 8 za ugoro sio Gigawatts! You people have a problem with FACTS, huwa mnapenda kufanya watu wajinga, majuzi mkatudanganya mmetengeneza kifaa cha simu cha kugundua ukimwi kumbe mlikuwa "guinea pigs" hahahaha....
Halafu hamchelewi kudai nyinyi ni sijui mainjinia, ma-software vitu gani sijui,....haya mfundishe mwenzio megawatt inatokea wapi mr "engineer"

Hujui kusoma? megawatt unaitoa wapi

 

[Nonda]

8.5 MW project.

 

[murutongore]

tatizo sio kusoma tatizo ni hiyo Gigawatt, i have a fairly good understanding of what it means, One gigawatt ni megawatt 1000. Kenya right now ina peak demand hata haifikii Gigawatti mbili (muulize MK254), wewe unadai eti karwanda kenu kameshawasha Gigawatti 8? Haya basi tufanye umeshinda eeh! mtutsi mzuri eeh! watutsi mna akili sana eeh! hahahahhaa. Mi nadhani nifunge mjadala na kuwapongeza watutsi kwa kuwa na umeme wa kuangaza EAC nzima! Nasubiria kesho udai kigali mabomba yanatoa maziwa!
cc:JustDoItNow nyumba kubwa Ngongo.
MOTOCHINI Kimweri mchambawima1

Inferiority complex at work.

 

[Pdidy]

jMali
Mabinti wanaitama bibi

 

[JustDoItNow]

hahahaha, are you sure ni Gigawatts au ni megawatts? maana watutsi kwa misifa tunawajua. baiskeli itaitwa pikipiki, corolla itaitwa benzi. Sijui sana mambo ya umeme ila hapo kwenye gigawatti bado kidoogo.
sana sana hizo ni 8.5MW, na kama ni MW basi nikufahamishe kuwa huku kwetu serikali haihangaiki na chini ya 10MW. Vimradi vidogo vidogo hivyo wameachiwa private sector ndio wanazalisha chini ya 10 MW chini ya mpango unaitwa small scale power... sijui nini nini....

cc: JustDoItNow nyumba kubwa Ngongo.
MOTOCHINI Kimweri mchambawima1

Ahahahahhahha, Yaani mkuu hivi vijamaa vikifanya kitu kidogo vinataka ulimwengu uvijue. Yaani hiyo ndo project kubwa kabisa ya umeme Rwanda? Duuu, hata aibu hawana. Actually hiyo itakuwa megawatt, na sifikiri kama zinaweza kutoa 8.5 hizo pannel.
Pia ni risk, ukitokea uharibifu au tukiwamiminia makombora ya ndege zetu zile kila kitu kushney.....LOL

 

[jMali]

Link Rwanda Solar Power Plant = 6% of Country's Power Capacity

8.5 MW project.

aliyepost habari mbishi kama nini muangalie hapa:

Hujui kusoma? megawatt unaitoa wapi

 

[MzalendoHalisi]

Hata hivyo 8.5 MW kwa households 15,000 ni kitu kidogo sana kwa nchi kama Tz!

Pia Rwanda ni nchi ndogo!

Wanajitahidi!

 

[Hute]

thats good for them, if you don't have minerals, you have no natural gas, no running watter then you can opt for solar. wao wametengeneza solar ya kufua umeme kama MW 8.5 hahaha, sisi tunatengeneza umeme wa gas utaleta MW kama 2500.....hapo sasa. and our country is not as overpopulated as it is that tinny dot.

 

[Hute]

Look at those houses around the solar compound?hahaha. hiyo ndio developed Rwanda. is that area in kigali?