Geothermal Development in Rwanda: An Alternative to the Energy Crisis

Abstract

The electrical energy in Rwanda is currently predominantly on diesel generation (60%) followed by hydropower (40%) as consequence of low rainfall and an increasing demand for electricity. The high prices of oil are putting a strain on the national budget and constitute presently a serious hurdle to the economic growth for a landlocked developing country such as Rwanda
Consequently, to minimize the dependency on energy imports, save foreign currency and create conditions for the provision of safe, reliable, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally appropriate source of energy, geothermal development seems to be the long term solution to this problem.
Rwanda is believed to have a geothermal potential which is estimated to be in excess of 300 MW and it presents a huge number of high, medium and low enthalpy geothermal zones of interest. The exploration of geothermal energy in Rwanda is still at an early stage.
Currently, the country is evaluating its high and medium enthalpy geothermal resources and the preliminary results from geology, geochemical data analyses and geophysical measurements indicate that medium to high temperature geothermal systems exist in the North-Western part of the country and possibility of drilling into a high temperature geothermal reservoir is high.
This paper gives an overview of Rwanda energy sector and presents the geothermal development update of the country.