Construction engineering firm KEC International will construct the Kamanyola-Bujumbura energy transmission line and Bujumbura substation in Burundi.

It should take about 18 months to construct an 80km 220kV power transmission line to connect Kamanyola and Bujumbura and a 220/110/30kV substation in the economic capital of Burundi.

The AfDB will provide €30,7million (34,64million) in funding while €15m ($13,29m) will come from the European Union. The build is part of the Multinational Project for the Interconnection of the Electric Grids of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries.

The Multinational Project is meant to improve living conditions and strengthen the economic and social development framework of the region. It will also help Burundi through increased access to electricity at an affordable cost thanks to the increase in the cross-border exchange of electrical energy.

Burundi exhibits low energy access but high RE potential

This specific contract for the Burundi component was signed at the beginning of December between the director-general of the Burundi water and electricity production and distribution authority REGIDESO Jean Albert Maningomba and KEC International representative Sarvesh Kumar Gupta.

The planned transmission line will evacuate the production of the future regional hydroelectric plant of Ruzizi III. The hydro plant is planned for the Ruzizi river on the border between the DRC and Rwanda. It should provide around 400GW hours of electricity a year to Burundi, potentially affecting 430,000 people.

The SEforAll Sustainable Energy Fund pointed out Burundi’s access to electricity (7%) is one of the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. The current energy situation is characterised by insufficient power supply to meet demand, preventing economic takeoff. The country though has substantial potential to develop both hydropower and renewable energy sources.