Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Station
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| Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Plant | |
|---|---|
  Location of Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Plant in Burundi | |
| Official name | French: Centrale Hydroélectrique de Ruzibazi |
| Country | Burundi |
| Coordinates | 3°43′24″S 29°21′42″E / 3.72346°S 29.36172°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | October 2018 |
| Opening date | 6 September 2022 |
| Owner(s) | REGIDESO Burundi |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Ruzibazi River |
| Operator(s) | REGIDESO Burundi |
| Commission date | 6 September 2022 |
| Installed capacity | 15 megawatts (20,000 hp) |
The Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Plant (French: Centrale Hydroélectrique de Ruzibazi) is a hydroelectric power station in the Rumonge Province of Burundi.
The Ruzibazi Hydroelectric Power Station is in Rutumo colline, Minago zone in the Commune of Rumonge. The dam is on the Ruzibazi River between the Commune of Bugarama and the Commune of Rumonge.[1] There are two transmission lines, a 5 MW line to Rumonge and a 10MW line to Kabezi station.[2]
Construction
The agreement between China and the Burundian Ministry of Energy and Mines was signed on 26 August 2016. Work was planned to start in August 2017 and complete around 2021.[3] Construction by the Chinese company Sinohydro began in October 2018 and was completed ahead of schedule in July 2022. It was inaugurated on 6 September 2022 in a ceremony attended by Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi.[4] The Chinese ambassador, Zhao Jiangping, was also present.[1]
Technical
The power plant includes a gravity dam, a supply channel, a power plant, a return channel, a step-up transformer station and an electrical transmission line. It has a capacity of 15 MW.[1] As of February 2022 the Ruzibazi-Kabezi line had been completed. The Kabezi section of the dispatching center in Ngagara in the commune of Ntahangwa and the substation were not yet complete, but were expected to be ready on time.[5]