| Title | Geothermal Resources Development in Rwanda; A Country Update |
|---|---|
| Authors | Uwera RUTAGARAMA |
| Year | 2015 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Rwanda, Geothermal, Exploration, Drilling, African Rift |
| Abstract | The Government of Rwanda is looking at future strategy for solving the country’s needs for electricity by developing over 500 MWe in the next 4 years through diversified least cost and cost reflective sources of electricity. Rwanda has no indigenous fossil fuels and the small hydro resources are almost fully developed. The other potential sources are from peat, shared hydro sites and methane gas from Lake Kivu. When looking at available options for energy, the concept of geothermal appears one option, given that the resource is proven and the development cost is acceptable. To determine the viability of the geothermal resources, exploration wells are currently being drilled in the southern slopes of Karisimbi volcano which is one of the four identified geothermal prospects in the country. This paper presents the current status of geothermal exploration, issues affecting geothermal and the programmatic approach of geothermal resources development in Rwanda. |