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.

Apart from cleaning the environment, this will also create an estimated 5 000 job opportunities for the youth and attract investors, boosting the country’s revenue. The process will involve raw material producers, converters, brand owners, retailers, consumers and recyclers, with PETCO fulfilling the PET industry’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 industry.

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 partners are responsible corporates; the government fully supports 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 efforts 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.

ZIMBABWE

New transformer signals end to constant power outages

Phase II of the Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (EPIRP) has reached the last leg of implementation with the delivery of a 175 MVA transformer to the Sherwood Substation. Over 1.2 million people from the Midlands, as well as Mashonaland East and West provinces of Zimbabwe will now have relief from persistent power outages.

ZimFund (of which African Development Bank is a major partner) provided US$22.74 million (R388 million) towards Phase II of the EPIRP.

The Sherwoord Substation is currently equipped with three 90 MVA, 330/88/11 kV transformers, giving a total substation installed capacity of 270 MVA against a substation demand of 350 MVA. The new transformer will replace the old equipment, which is beyond repair, causing numerous power interruptions that have impacted negatively on households, industry, human capital institutions, and essential basic service delivery.

“Delivery of the transformer was a key milestone since it is the largest key equipment included in the project scope. The project faced delays exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially on the production and shipping lines. We would like to thank Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company and the people of Zimbabwe for their patience throughout this project,” says Dinesh Buldoo, MD: Power, WSP. The African Development Bank-managed EPIRP Phase II is designed to improve the availability of electricity supply through the rehabilitation of generation, transmission and distribution facilities. The project target areas are Kwekwe, Gweru, Bulawayo, Mutare, Harare and Hwange, with a combined target population of 5 million people. ZimFund has been one of the most instrumental programmes in the country in terms of restoring Zimbabwe’s critical infrastructure for power, water supply and sanitation, especially in the targeted areas. The $145.8 million (R2.49 billion) fund’s donors include Australia, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

EGYPT

Completion of Cairo Metro Line 3

The recent inauguration of the Cairo Metro Line 3 was celebrated, among others, by the European Investment Bank, the largest international public bank, which provided €600 million (R10.4 billion) for its the construction. It is the largest single transport project backed by the financier in Africa. The project is also backed by €300 million (R5.2 billion) in financing from Agence Française de Développement and €3 million (R52 million) grant support from the EU.

Cairo Metro Line 3 will improve urban mobility and reduce traffic congestion for the more than 20 million people living in Cairo. Improving Cairo’s transport network will contribute to more sustainable and green economic growth and urban development in Egypt.

“We are proud to celebrate the completion of Cairo Metro Line 3, a crucial project to transform sustainable transport and deliver climate action in Egypt. It will transform transport for millions of people every day, provide a faster and more sustainable transport alternative, and help to alleviate traffic congestion in the Egyptian capital. Line 3 is a model for sustainable transport in global cities that will improve access to jobs and education, cut pollution and reduce carbon emissions,” stated Gelsomina Vigliotti, vice president of the European Investment Bank.