The substation is part of the NELSAP Regional Interconnection Project that connects Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi regions

inauguration-shango-power-substation

Image: African Development Bank and its partners inaugurate Shango power substation in Africa. Photo: courtesy of African Development Bank.

The African Development Bank and its partners have inaugurated the 188MVA Shango power substation along with its related transmission network in Kigali, Rwanda.

The substation is part of the NELSAP Regional Interconnection Project that connects Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi regions.

Estimated to cost €111.03m ($123m), the Rwandan component of the project includes the construction of 286km of 220kV lines, three substations and the upgrade of two substations.

The African Development Bank Rwanda country manager Martha Phiri said: “The energization of the Shango substation and related network will facilitate the country’s access to excess power of nearly 1,040 MW from the regional market, reducing reliance on expensive fossil-fuel generated power.

“This would eventually benefit the people and industries in Rwanda through increased availability, reliability of clean power and possible reduction in electricity tariffs.”

African Development Fund has provided $42m for the project

The African Development Bank Group’s subsidiary African Development Fund has provided €38m ($42m) for the project that is approximately 34% of the total cost of the project.

Claimed to be the biggest of its kind in the country, the Shango substation has been designed to play an important role in the management of electricity dispatching services in Rwanda.

It is also a routing node for electricity trading between the East African neighbours.

The bank said that the country is pursuing its target to achieve affordable, reliable and universal access to electricity by 2024, consistent with the National Strategy for Transformation.

It also said that the new substation is in line with its High 5 priorities such as Light Up and Power Africa and Integrate Africa.

Recently, the African Development Bank has approved $210m loan to the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the Nigeria Transmission Expansion Project (NTEP1) in Nigeria.

The project aims to rehabilitate and upgrade the country’s transmission lines and improve electricity distribution and supply.