Rwanda Targets Lake's Methane Resource
Rwanda is hoping that investors will boost its capacity for generating power from methane trapped below Lake Kivu. Currently it can generate 29 MW from this source which has broadened the landlocked east African state's energy options from its existing hydro and thermal capacity.
Three companies are at different stages of producing electricity there, along Rwanda's western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The estimated 60bn m3 methane gas under the 2,400 km2 lake could have the potential to produce 700 MW of power equally shared between both countries for a period of 55 years. But the lake also holds 300bn m3 of carbon dioxide (CO2), the highest concentrations of which exist at depths ranging from 270 metres to 500 metres. When the CO2 concentration gets too high, or an earthquake occurs, the dense gas can be released and pose a deadly asphyxiation risk to local people. Several experts believe that producing the methane reduces the risk of a CO2 gas-cloud being released and drifting ashore.
So far two plants KivuWatt (25 MW) and KP1 (3.6 MW), owned by US companies Contour Global and Symbion Energy respectively, are producing electricity. The output however is far below their nameplate capacities of 100 MW and 106 MW, according to Sanny Ntayombya, spokesperson of state investment promotion agency Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
"There has not been slow investment in Lake Kivu methane gas as we are still receiving expressions of interest from various international companies to develop power on this lake," he told NGW: "But given that we need to comply with both the energy mix policy and power demand, new power generation projects will be subject to the Least Cost Energy Development Plan, which is currently going on."
Rwanda, a country of 11.5mn, has installed generating capacity of 210.9 MW. Hydro-power contributes 48%, thermal 32% and methane 14.3%.
Symbion has two projects: Kivu 56 (56 MW) and Kibuye Power 1 (50 MW). The former is new whereas the latter is a brownfield upgrade. Construction of both plants was projected to begin in January 2018 after the company signed a $100mn agreement with fellow American firm Highland Group in September 2017. Both will use methane from Lake Kivu. In addition to these, local utility Rwanda Energy Company, a subsidiary of the privately-run Rwanda Investment Group, has a 50 MW project at the pilot phase.
Much potential exists: according to a August 2017 report by Rwanda Energy Group, the national electricity access rate is 40.5%. RDB's Ntayombya acknowledges that domestic demand for electricity is low but should grow as the economy grows and pursues its plan to achieve 100% access rate by 2020. Exports are a possibility too if local output exceeds demand, he said adding, "In the future there is certainly potential for exports to regional markets. All East African Community countries are potential export markets, given that we already have interconnection through power transmission lines."