Kibuye Power Plant 1
CountryRwanda
LocationKibuye
Coordinates02°03′21″S 29°20′18″E / 2.05583°S 29.33833°E / -2.05583; 29.33833
StatusOperational
Commission date2008
Owner(s)Government of Rwanda
Thermal power station
Primary fuelMethane
Power generation
Nameplate capacity3.6 MW (4,800 hp)

Kibuye Power Plant 1, also Kibuye Thermal Power Station 1 (KP1),[1] is a 3.6 megawatts (4,800 hp) methane gas-fired thermal power plant in Rwanda.[2]

Location

The power plant is located in Kibuye, Karongi District, in the Western Province of Rwanda, approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi), by road, west of Kigali, the capital and largest city in that country.[3]

Overview

Starting in 2006, with partial financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the government of Rwanda began sourcing for qualified engineering firms to design, build and operate a methane gas-powered electricity generating power plant, using gas extracted from the depths of Lake Kivu.[4] One of the objectives of this project, was to prove that it was possible to generate electricity from methane gas in the lake in on a profitable commercial basis.[5][6] The project cost an estimated US$20 million to set up.[7]

Ownership

The project is majority owned by the Rwandan government.[7] A partnership with Dane Associates, an Edinburgh-based enterprise broke up over financial disagreements. In 2015, with the project unable to pay its debts, the Rwanda Commercial High Court dissolved the Kibuye Power 1 Company, at the request of the government of Rwanda. The government began to accept bids from new investors to restart the project.[8]

In October 2016, Symbion Power, an American electricity-generating enterprise, acquired Kibuye Power Plant 1 at an undisclosed sum of money. Symbion plans a gradual, phased upgrade of capacity, first to 25 MW in 2018, and to 50 MW in 2019.[9]

Other considerations

Kibuye Power Plant 1 is the second power project Symbion has committed to develop on Lake Kivu. It has also agreed to develop Kivu 56 Power Station, a 56 megawatts (75,000 hp), methane-powered electricity-generating plant. Under that agreement, the first 14 megawatts (19,000 hp) are expected in 2018.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kabona, Esiara (27 September 2017). "US firm sells stock to fund Rwanda power projects". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Henderson, Zack (31 August 2010). "Rwandan power plant converts methane from exploding lake into clean energy". Lakescientist.com. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  3. ↑ GFC (6 March 2016). "Distance between Kigali, Rwanda and Kibuye, Western Province, Rwanda". Globefeed.com (GFC). Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  4. ↑ IFC (July 2006). "Kibuye Power Limited Project In Rwanda". Washington DC: International Finance Corporation (IFC). Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Kennedy, Charles (28 July 2011). "Rwanda to Privatize Methane Gas Plant". Oilprice.com. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Daisy Carrington, and Lisa Cohen (18 August 2014). "The 'exploding lake' that could power Rwanda". Atlanta: CNN.com. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 Rice, Xan (16 August 2010). "Rwanda harnesses volcanic gases from depths of Lake Kivu". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Kabona, Esiara (5 March 2016). "Kigali court puts Kibuye Power1 under liquidation". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  9. 1 2 Kabona, Esiara (29 October 2016). "Symbion Power to produce 50 MW from methane". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
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