{"id":112886,"date":"2025-10-13T12:11:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T12:11:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges"},"modified":"2025-10-13T12:28:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T12:28:38","slug":"rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda’s Strategy to Reduce Power Waste from Fridges"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Imported and locally manufactured refrigeration equipment will soon be tested and certified for energy efficiency in Rwanda, The New Times has learnt.<\/p>\n

Inefficient refrigerators currently waste electricity worth an estimated Rwf4 billion annually. Such appliances consume more power, cost more to operate, and contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions due to outdated designs or refrigerants.<\/p>\n

Refrigeration equipment includes household and commercial fridges, freezers, cold rooms, chillers used in industries, refrigerated trucks for transporting perishables, and air conditioners\u2014all of which are part of the broader cooling ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Experts are urging consumers to adopt energy-saving refrigerators and air conditioners to cut costs and reduce environmental impact.<\/p>\n

According to available data, Rwanda has 87,512 refrigerators, of which about 64,505 are considered old and inefficient.<\/p>\n

Testing facility to ensure standards compliance<\/b><\/p>\n

Prof. Toby Peters, Professor of Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham and Founding Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) in Kigali, said the centre has established an environmental test chamber to assess the energy efficiency of refrigeration equipment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve just built an environmental test chamber. With this facility, we can now test refrigeration equipment in Rwanda, for Rwanda,\u201d he said. \u201cThis ensures that both imported and locally made equipment meet national efficiency standards protecting consumers while safeguarding the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that the centre has secured more than $50 million in funding for the programme from both government and industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government of Rwanda has provided land and facilities, and we also have access to a 200-hectare research farm. Altogether, including in-kind contributions, the investment exceeds $50 million,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Festival of Cooling: advancing climate-friendly solutions<\/b><\/p>\n

The new facility was showcased during the Festival of Cooling, held from October 6\u201310, which focused on sustainable cooling technologies for agriculture, health, and climate resilience.<\/p>\n

The centre receives financial support from the UK and Rwandan governments.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve welcomed ministers from both countries, who were eager to see how our work aligns with Rwanda\u2019s national vision\u2014empowering farmers, reducing food loss, creating jobs, and promoting opportunities for youth and women,\u201d Prof. Peters said.<\/p>\n

UK Minister for International Development Baroness Chapman joined Rwanda\u2019s Ministers of Environment and Agriculture in touring the facility.<\/p>\n

Tackling food and vaccine waste<\/b><\/p>\n

The cooling systems\u2014mainly fridges and cold rooms\u2014promoted by ACES aim to reduce post-harvest losses and protect perishable goods. Across Africa, up to 40% of food is lost post-harvest due to a lack of cold storage, while 25\u201350% of vaccines spoil because of improper storage.<\/p>\n

During the Festival of Cooling, farmers participated in hands-on training sessions on sustainable cooling solutions, such as solar-powered cold rooms, pre-cooling units, and temperature monitoring tools.<\/p>\n

They also explored innovative financing models, including leasing, pay-as-you-store, and cooling-as-a-service, to make the technology more accessible.<\/p>\n

Farmers shared experiences and success stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a farmer, after exploring the different cooling solutions, I realised we have several options to tackle post-harvest losses,\u201d said Marie Claire Umubyeyi from Rwamagana District.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met others using solar-powered cold rooms\u2014essential in rural areas without access to the national grid. We hope ACES will support more farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claudine Niragire, a fruit and vegetable exporter, added:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe store our produce in cold rooms where it stays fresh until we find buyers. Even during the dry season, our harvests remain intact thanks to these facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Private sector innovations driving expansion<\/b><\/p>\n

Startups are also investing in cold chain solutions. Marie Rose Sabina, Founder of Green Energy Technology Ltd (GET), said her company is seeking to raise $500,000 to expand operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith that, we could acquire refrigerated trucks, build three cold rooms at agri-hubs\u2014each with a five-tonne capacity\u2014and expand our team,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Patrick Ndayisaba, Founder of Greenover Africa, said his solar-powered cooling system helps smallholder farmers in off-grid areas reduce post-harvest losses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve developed a working prototype and are now seeking partners to help us scale up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

National targets to cut food losses<\/b><\/p>\n

Telesphore Ndabamenye, Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources, emphasised that accelerating the uptake of cooling technologies is central to achieving national food security goals.<\/p>\n

Florence Uwamahoro, Deputy Director General in charge of Agricultural Development at RAB, said Rwanda aims to cut post-harvest losses in staple crops from 13.8 percent in 2023 to 8 percent by 2029, alongside reducing spoilage in fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n

A 2023 RAB study found substantial losses across key value chains: maize (13.8%), beans (11.3%), rice (12.4%), tomatoes (33.5%), cassava (24.8%), and Irish potatoes (25.2%).<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. Imported and locally manufactured refrigeration equipment will soon be tested and certified for energy efficiency in Rwanda, The New Times has learnt. Inefficient refrigerators currently waste electricity worth an estimated Rwf4 billion annually. Such appliances consume more power, cost more to operate, and contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions due to outdated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":112885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,15],"tags":[8210,1903,6378,8366,758],"class_list":["post-112886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-cooling","tag-fridges","tag-post-harvest-losses","tag-refrigerants","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nRwanda's Strategy to Reduce Power Waste from Fridges - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Imported and locally manufactured refrigeration equipment will soon be tested and certified for energy efficiency in Rwa ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rwanda's Strategy to Reduce Power Waste from Fridges\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Imported and locally manufactured refrigeration equipment will soon be tested and certified for energy efficiency in Rwa ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T12:11:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T12:28:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/10\/sm_1760345865.133912.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"665\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Rwanda’s Strategy to Reduce Power Waste from Fridges\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-13T12:11:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T12:28:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges\"},\"wordCount\":747,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/10\/sm_1760345865.133912.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Cooling\",\"fridges\",\"post-harvest losses\",\"Refrigerants\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Economy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/rwandas-strategy-to-reduce-power-waste-from-fridges\",\"name\":\"Rwanda's Strategy to Reduce Power Waste from Fridges - 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