INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS
FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT
RWANDA Update: Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plan The construction of the 43 MW Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant will begin this year. It is expected to be operational between September 2025 and January 2026. The Export-Import Bank has funded US$214 million (R3.6 billion) towards the project. Nyabarongo II is a concrete gravity dam built on the Nyabarongo River between the districts of Gakenke and Kamonyi in south-western Rwanda. The dam will be bordered by a 48 m high wall with a crest length of 228 m and have a storage capacity of 55 million m3. The dam is envisaged to supply water for domestic use, irrigation and livestock. At the foot of the dam, Chinese company Sinohydro will build a hydropower plant. The water released from the reservoir will turn the turbines to produce 43.5 MW of electricity. The project also includes the construction of a substation, as well as the creation of a 110 kV transmission line over a distance of 19.2 km to connect the plant to the Rulindo substation. The project will directly employ about 700 Rwandans and create income streams for local distributors by sourcing building resources such as sand, stone, timber and cement from them. Reportedly, only electrical and electromechanical equipment will be imported.
TANZANIA Private sector to manage plastic waste Eight brewing companies are joining forces to form the Polyethylene Terephthalate Recycle Company (PETCO) to boost plastic collection and recycling. The companies include A-One Products & Bottles Ltd (MeTL), Coca Cola Kwanza Ltd, SBC Tanzania Ltd (Pepsi), Nyanza Bottling Co. Ltd, Bonite Bottlers Ltd, Sayona Drink, Cool Blue Pure Drinking Water and Silafrica Ltd. The founding members have injected over US$100 000 (R1.7 million) towards the project, which will be used for ongoing consumer and public education, awareness activities to
promote environmental responsibility, and encourage PET collection and recycling. Apar t from cleaning the environment, this will also create an estimated 5 000 job oppor tunities for the youth and attract investors, boosting the countr y’s revenue. The process will involve raw material producers, conver ters, brand owners, retailers, consumers and recyclers, with PETCO fulfilling the PET industr y’s role of driving extended producer responsibility (EPR), which encourages the incorporation of environmental costs associated with PET products throughout their life cycles into product market costs and shifts
responsibility for used containers from government to private industr y. Tanzania’s Minister of State in charge of Union Affairs and the Environment, Selemani Jafo, called on other corporates to join the body. “The founding par tners are responsible corporates; the government fully suppor ts the initiative and will work closely with PETCO to ensure this programme is well executed for the wellbeing of our environment.” This will fast-track Tanzania's ongoing effor ts to attain the 12th goal of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – responsible consumption and production. Tanzania produces 14 800 tonnes of waste per day, 48% of which is plastic.
