Opening remarks by Hon. Min. of State for Energy & Water

She noted that the Workshop would give participants ample opportunity to share experience and best practices and discuss challenges faced to increase momentum toward electrification in Rwanda.

The background and objectives of the Workshop were outlined at the beginning of the opening ceremony by various speakers including the Acting Director General of EWSA, represented by the Director of Electricity Utility, who recalled that the MOU between Rwanda and Tunisia is geared towards reinforcing the partnership between Rwandan and Tunisian public and private institutions in the energy sector. He was followed by the Rector of KIST, Mrs. MUJAWAMARIYA Jeanne d’Arc, who expressed gratitude to EWSA for having accepted to embark on partnership with KIST with a view to joining efforts for the betterment of the welfare of the Rwandan population.  She recalled that the meeting will give KIST ample opportunity to be part of the solution to energy problems in Rwanda.

Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Director of STEG-IS extended thanks to all those who contributed to the organization of the Workshop for having made arrangements for the participants.

The first Presenter, Eng. KHALED HAMMOU, Senior Expert of STEG-IS addressed participants on the Electrical Distribution Systems by talking about STEG’s  experience in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity  in Tunisia and hence in  increasing access to electricity to Tunisian population from 6% in 1973 to 99.5% in 2012. He was followed by Eng. NGIZWENAYO Dieudonné – EARP/EWSA who spoke to participants about rural electrification in Rwanda. He highlighted the tremendous progress made by Rwanda in electrification in addition to giving a broad outline of the achievements of EARP project in providing affordable access to electricity to a large number of Rwandans in rural areas where electrification rate increased from 4.5% in 2008 to 16% by end of 2012. He went on saying that the Government of Rwanda target is to increase electrification to 70% by 2017.  

The day was also marked by a third presentation by Eng. MOHAMED ZOMETI - STEG IS under the theme: Electrical networks protection systems.

After constructive exchanges among participants, presentations, and thorough debates, the workshop participants came up with the following recommendations:

1. The use of MALT system which allow for the use of line of three-phase with neutral distribution and single-phase branch for the rural area able to meet all the industrial and household needs;
2. The use of MALT system allow for costs reduction and save time for project implementation;
3. Single-phase distribution in rural areas is well adapted for household’s needs and small-scale activities. However, more efforts must be made by EWSA and STEG to sensitize hardware operators to supply single-phase equipment which are available on global market;
4. EWSA should actively involve local authorities and the population in the protection of the existing electricity infrastructure;
5. Stakeholders should disburse more funds for the development of infrastructure for electricity production, transmission and distribution;
6. More efforts should be made to strengthen close collaboration between STEG-IS and its beneficiaries;
7. Targets in terms of annual increase in the percentage of electrification should be set and assessed;
   
8. Strategies should be devised to minimize power loss in distribution networks and MALT system can be a solution. 
9. Local authorities should sensitize the population to fully join the system of grouped settlement to facilitate electrification of an increased number of households;
10. Home-grown solutions should be initiated in the field of rural electrification to allow the population to pay for electrical connections  in kind through Umuganda to successfully address  financial challenges facing the population;
11. Local and foreign investors should be sensitized to invest in small- and large- scale electrical equipment manufacturing industries in Rwanda;
12. Efforts should be made to speed up the proposed establishment of an electrical cable factory in Rwanda;
13. Rwandan students in Electrical Engineering should be offered internship placements with STEG-run electrical facilities that are based in Tunisia;
14. The population should be sensitized towards full utilization making full use of electricity.