Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Parliamentary Committee for Energy and Minerals has expressed satisfaction with the progress made in execution of the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project (RRFHP), which is currently at 87 per cent.
However, the committee has directed the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project Manager, Engineer Patrick Lwesya, to conduct an inventory on the exact number of people who deserve compensation.
The committee made the directive during its recent visit at the site where it was informed that Covid-19 pandemic has delayed completion of the project.
Reached for a comment, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco), Dr Alexander Kyaruzi said the deadline for completion of the project was set for February, this year.
Eng Lwesya noted that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the deadline has been re-scheduled until December, year because some of the countries involved in the implementation of the Rusumo Hydro project were in lockdown.
He explained that the work progress is currently stood at 87 per cent adding that among steps taken include recruiting a new project manager who started work on July 28, last year.
Once completed, the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project (RRFHP) is envisaged to address the acute shortage of electricity experienced by the three countries, which negatively affect their economies.
The project will generate 80MW of renewable clean energy, relatively low cost power to the national grids of the three countries shared equally, with each country receiving an additional 165 GWH per year.
The Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project (RRFHP) was conceived in 1977 under the auspices of the regional transboundary organization, the Kagera Basin Organisation (KBO) under the old East Africa Community (EAC).
However, implementation of the project was delayed due to several factors including lack of commitment by the partner states, lack of investment finance, civil conflicts as well as absence of a joint institution to coordinate the project.
The three countries jointly mandated Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme Coordination Unit (NELSAP-CU) to coordinate the development of studies and later the implementation of the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric project.
The project will improve business and bilateral ties between Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, will increase trade flow, enhance economic and social development.
The additional power will benefit about 1,146,000 people in the three countries- 520,000 in Burundi (5.4 per cent), 159,000 in Tanzania (0.34 per cent) and 467,000 in Rwanda (4 per cent).
The joint development was entered by the three governments through a Tripatite Agreement signed on February 16, 2012. The project is located at Rusumo Falls, at the common border of Rwanda and Tanzania on River Kagera.
The project is being implemented with support from the World Bank (WB), which donated about US dollars 340m for construction of the 80MW Power Plant while the African Development Bank (AFDB) donated US dollars 128m for the transmission lines.
