Rwanda: Kayonza Sugar factory to increase electricity – Minister Kanimba

Trade and Industry Minister, Francois Kanimba (middle) and other delegates     

 

Proposed site for factory construction

Rwandan Minister of trade and Industry Francois Kanimba said that the proposed project to build a sugar factory at Kajevuba Island in Kayonza district could help produce 45 more megawatts to the current national electricity generation capacity 69MW (2009)

Minister Kanimba made the observation as he toured the proposed site for sugar factory construction to check if the land responds to investors’ requirements. He added that the Sugarcane processing factory could help increase the country’s capacity to generate electricity using sugar cane residues.

According to investors, a sugar factory with a 10 ton milling capacity per day and which can generate 45MW requires a 10,000 hectare construction site. The Trade and Industry Minister Kanimba believes that sugar scarcity and power shortage may become history if the factory starts operating.

Overall power production has stabilized after severe power shortages in 2004 that caused massive load shedding all over the country, and prompted the government to hire emergency power solutions and invest in increasing generation capacity. It is expected that generation capacity will be expanded to at least 130MW by 2012 mainly through investment in hydropower and methane gas to power projects.