The Governments of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi have commissioned works for the construction of 80MW Rusumo power dam on River Kagera. Once completed, it is expected that the three East African countries will equally distribute the power output; each connecting about 30MW to its national grid.
In November last year the trio announced that two Chinese companies- China Geo-Engineering Corporation, Jianxi Water and Hydro Construction Ltd and Austria’s Andritz Hydro had been selected for the civil, electronic and mechanical works on the power plant. The works are expected to be completed by 2019.
The dam project is funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank to the cost of US$340million. The works include construction of the power plant. It also includes construction of 161 km of 220 KV, single circuit transmission line from the power plant to Gitegavia Muyinga substation in Burundi; 119 km of a 220 KV, double circuit transmission line system from Birembo substation through the new Bugesera International Airport substation in Rwanda and a 98.2 km, 220 kV, double circuit transmission line system, from the power plant to the new Nyakanazi substation in Tanzania.
The dam will be run by the Rusumo Power Company Ltd (RPCL), a limited company, publicly owned and financed by the three countries but privately managed.
