$150m World Bank financing to boost Rwandan household access to affordable energy
The World Bank has approved $150 million in financing to improve access to modern energy for households, enterprises, and public institutions in Rwanda and to enhance the efficiency of electricity services.
Of the total, $75 million will be provided as grant funding, and $75 million will be provided as a loan. The Rwanda Energy Access and Quality Improvement Project aims to improve electricity access by providing funding for the country’s ongoing program of expanding grid connections for residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector consumers, as well as by providing grants to reduce the costs of off-grid solar home systems.
The project will also enhance the availability and efficiency of low-cost renewable energy by restoring capacity at the Ntaruka Hydro-Power Project, reducing voltage fluctuations on transmission lines, and supporting the national smart meter program.
The project includes the World Bank’s largest clean cooking operation in Africa, and the first project co-financed by the recently launched Clean Cooking Fund, hosted by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program.
The CCF will provide $20 million for clean cooking, with $10 million provided as a grant and $10 million extended as a loan. The project targets 2.15 million people, leveraging an additional $30 million in public and private sector investments.
