Chinese Government provides $80 million grant for 15MW Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Plant Project

Project narrative

On August 25, 2016, the Chinese Government and the Government of Burundi signed an agreement on the 15MW Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Plant Project. The Chinese Government has reportedly committed $80 million of grant funding for this project. This project involves the installation of a dam, a water diversion system, powerhouses, a tailwater building, a booster station and transmission lines. It is located 43 km south of Bujumbura in the Bugarama commune within the Rumonge province along the Ruzibazi River. Central South Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd (CSADI) is the contractor responsible for project design. Sinohydro Bureau 14 Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China, is the contractor responsible for project implementation. A project design plan was finalized in January 2017. Construction began on October 15, 2018, and an official groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 20, 2019. Dam closure — a key project implementation milestone — occurred on May 8, 2020. Then, in May 2022, the power plant’s first electricity generation unit was successfully connected to the national electricity grid. All three (5MW) power generation units were connected to the grid in June 2022, marking the completion of the project. The 15MW Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Plant Project faced a variety of implementation obstacles and delays, including the Covid-19 pandemic, logistical problems, and unfavorable local construction conditions.