Rwanda planning exploration drilling in 2011
Hills in Rwanda (source: flickr/ John & Mel Kots, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
13 Ara 2010
Rwanda plans to drill three geothermal exploration wells in western Rwanda in 2011, hoping to confirm geothermal resources and develop electricity generation capacity.
Bloomberg reports about plans of Rwanda to drill “three geothermal exploration wells next year at a cost of about US$20 million”, so an expert in the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure.
In an interview, the expert confirms that if the first well proves the resource, it will be developed for electricity generation immediately.
The location of the project is at Gishenyi in western Rwanda, where geologists estimate geothermal resources.
The country, so the article, wants to expand its electricity generation capacity from currently 85MW to about 1,000 MW in the next seven years.
The World Bank’s Global Environment Facility and the Nordic Development Fund are expected to provide a combined US$9.8 million for renewable energy projects in the country.”
Source: Bloomberg
For a more detailed article on Rwandan development plants see “The East African/ Dec. 27, 2010“
