The Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) announces that since February 2024, the Shema Power Lake Kivu Limited (SPLK Ltd) plant, which extracts methane gas from Lake Kivu, has been operating efficiently, and the electricity produced is now being supplied to the public.
In an interview with Imvaho Nshya, the Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Jimmy Gasore, confirmed that the SPLK project is fully operational.
He said: “The Shema Power Lake Kivu project started trial operations in September 2023, and since February 2024, the plant has been functioning properly, generating 56 megawatts. Six megawatts are used by the plant itself, while the remaining electricity is supplied to the Energy Utility Corporation Limited (EUCL).”
The Government’s 2024–2029 program (NST2) highlights progress in various sectors, especially in increasing electricity generation. The main goal is to supply electricity to all areas with essential development infrastructure, including every village, while also expanding the use of renewable energy sources.
To continue expanding electricity access across the country, the priority will be supplying industries, commercial buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, and other institutions that contribute to development and the well-being of citizens.
The Shema Power Lake Kivu (SPLK) project invested approximately $400 million in drilling for methane gas in Lake Kivu.
This project was initiated through a partnership between the Government of Rwanda and SPLK Ltd and was launched on October 3, 2019.
It is expected to help reduce the use of environmentally harmful energy sources such as firewood, charcoal, crop residues, and others.
Six kilometers from the lake shore, heading toward the deeper waters, lie the infrastructures used to extract methane gas found between 300 and 400 meters below the surface of Lake Kivu.
By the end of 2023, the SPLK plant was processing methane gas and generating 37.5 megawatts out of the more than 50 megawatts supplied to the national grid. The plant is located in Nyamyumba Sector, Rubavu District.
