Fossil energiesEnergy resources in Rwanda
Fossil energies
In the field of fossil energy resources, Rwanda, which lacks petroleum and coal, has a methane gas reserve and peat resources.
Methane gas reserve
Rwanda shares with the Democratic Republic of Congo a source of energy and a raw material for the industry: methane gas, which is dissolved in the deep waters of Lake Kivu. Reserves are estimated at 60 billion tonnes of oil equivalent (about 60 billion Nm3), 50 billion of which are exploitable. This reserve represents the equivalent in energy of 500 years of current imports. The renewal rate of methane is estimated at 250 million tonnes of oil equivalent (250 million Nm3).
| Photo J-C Scholle | Photo J-C Scholle | |
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| Lake Kivu: a methane gas reserve... an opportunity? | Recompression station for methane gas extracted from the lake |
Photo J-C Scholle The pipes discharging gas "bubbles" from the bottom of the lake |
An experimental methane extraction plant run by Electrogaz was partially set up by Tractebel (cap Rubona) in 1963, to feed Bralirwa's brewery, located near the lake.
This experimental plant proved the feasibility of gas exploitation. However, although it is attractive, it is difficult to envisage the short- or middle-term exploitation of this gas, particularly due to:
Peat
Photo J-C Scholle Peat
storage (you can see blocks of peat on the ground) |
A regards peat, although the exploitation of the enormous deposit (155 million tonnes - cf.doc 6.1 -, the equivalent of 50 E +6 tonnes of oil equivalent, 1/3 of which seems to be exploitable) is attractive to replace wood in the domestic sector as well as in the industry sector (cement works, tea, etc.), the exploitation of peat is difficult to implement due to:
- Technical and economic difficulties;
- Large risks for the environment (alteration of ecosystems, production of CO2...);
- Economic conditions which make it little competitive, short- or middle-term, compared to wood, charcoal and even electricity (21 E-2 $/kWh peat against 0.8 E-2 $/kWh wood).
In Rwabusoro, an experimental concern worked from 1984 to 1992. The cost of wood was more competitive, and therefore the exploitation of peat for energy purposes could not be developped. The only economically viable project, which was identified by the BRGM (Geological and Mining Research Office) in 1992, is the production of Gishoma peat so as to supply energy to the Cimerwa cement works (cf. sources 6.1 and 3.7), but the above-mentioned difficulties must be overcome.
Renewable energies and geothermal
energy
| Photo J-C Scholle | Photo J-C Scholle | |
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| Wood duty: two billion human beings only have access to this form of energy, is it acceptable? (Compare with wood duty in Guatemala!!) | Wood functioning kiln for brick firing, an activity which is indispensable to the reconstruction of the country | |
| Three children are on the road to school; will the other one, already in wood duty, go to school as well? |
| Photo J-C Scholle |
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| A geothermal source at the border of the lake Kivu - In the small tank at the center of the picture, the water is coming out at about + 95 °C. Note the iron oxide all around. All these geothermal sources are very few use by the Rwanda population. |
| Type of energy | Potential | Remarks |
| Wood biomass | 500,000 ha of afforestation | At the current rate of wood consumption (1.2 kg/day/person in rural areas), reserves would run out by 2010-2015 if nothing was made. |
| Biomass Papyrus briquettes |
75,000 tonnes of oil equivalent (16 t/ha) | Substitution fuel to develop; according to a study by the World Bank, the price of briquettes would be competitive with that of charcoal. |
| Large power hydro-electric plants | 160 MW installable 900 GWh/year of producible |
The problems of financing and of the necessity to largely extend the distribution network are difficult to solve. |
| Micro hydro-electric plants | A few dozens of MW | Several power plants must be restored and others must be built on sites that are already identified (more than one hundred). Due to climatic and geographic conditions in Rwanda, micro-power plants can be set up in the whole territory. |
| Solar energy | Average radiation of 5.15 kWh/m2/day, that is about 1,900 kWh/m2/year | The annual radiation variations are small. A few economic actors of the photovoltaic system (fitters, module importers) are present in Rwanda. |
| Biogas | 60 tonnes of oil equivalent/year at least | Although it seems to be very difficult to collect animal excrement in the whole country to transform it into biogas by biodigesters, this resource has to be studied. |
| Geothermal energy | 150°C water | 3 sites are very favourable for a medium and large power geothermal plant: Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu. |
( Cf. sources 3.5 , 3.7 , 7.1 and 8.1)
The above-mentioned data are not recent due to the destruction of archives during the violent events of 1994. They are however topical, at least approximately. You will find the references of the documents collected during the mission in the attached bibliographical list.
12 pages: .1. .2. .3. .4. .5. .6. .7. .8. .9. .10. .11. .12.