Renewable energy company Gigawatt Global has launched the US$23.7mn solar energy plant in Rwanda, which is East Africa’s first utility-scale solar project to go online
The 8.5MW solar plant is located at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) – a residential community farm east of the Rwandan capital Kigali, stated officials from Gigawatt Global. It is now one of the largest solar facilities in Africa, aside from the existing ones in South Africa and Mauritius.
Chaim Motzen, co-founder and managing director of Gigawatt Global, said the project could serve as a catalyst for many more sustainable energy projects in the region.
The solar farm, which has been shaped like Africa, was funded by a consortium comprising the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), London’s Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, Norfund, Scatec Solar ASA and KLP Norfund Investments.
In addition, the government of USA provided grants for the project via OPIC’s Africa Clean Energy Finance (ACEF) and Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP), added Gigawatt Global.
Rwanda is in dire need of electricity – less than 15 per cent of the population has access to power, and the country relies on diesel fuel, which is highly polluting. With the project, the East African nation’s generating capacity surged six per cent.
