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The electricity supply from the hydropower station has proven to be transformational
A hydropower station is providing a stable electricity supply to a hospital in Burundi, saving the facility at least $2 million a month it would have spent on fuel and lubricants.
As one of the least electrified countries in the world, only 10% of the Burundi population has access to electricity.
The 80MW Rusumo hydropower plant is located at Rusumo border between Tanzania and Rwanda – it serves these two countries and Burundi.
As well as construction of the power station itself, the project also comprised the installation of transmission lines, including a 161km cable to deliver 27MW of electricity to Burundi.
The electricity supply from Rusumo means that the Gitega hospital can now devote more resources to upgrading equipment and medical teams can focus on their primary mission of saving lives.
The hospital has installed an oxygen production unit that meets its own needs and supplies gas to other regional medical centres. New incubators in the hospital’s neonatal department are permanently connected to the oxygen generator, saving the lives of premature babies.
Dr Franck Arnaud Ndorukwigira, doctor and deputy director at Gitega regional hospital in Burundi, has unpleasant memories from the time when the facility had to rely on diesel generators for electricity.
Saving babies
In order to have sufficient funds for other priority needs, the hospital was compelled to limit spending on diesel and therefore endure protracted periods of power cuts.
“One day, in the operating theatre, there was a power cut´ in the middle of a laparotomy [opening of the abdomen] for a case of pelvic peritonitis. We had to finish the operation using a torch. It was very hard,” said Dr Ndorukwigira.
The hospital’s energy challenges has been overcome in recent months, thanks to stable and regular supply of electricity from the Rusumo hydropower station.
“It has made a huge difference. We took in a mother who gave birth to premature triplets at six months. If these new incubators were not connected to electricity 24 hours a day, we couldn’t have cared for these babies properly and they would probably have died. Now the babies are gradually gaining weight and their mother is very happy,” said Dr Ndorukwigira.
The station was built at a cost of $340m. The African Development Bank (AfDB) provided $107.11m of that, including $97.31m from the Bank’s concessional lending window, the African Development Fund, and $9.8m from another AfDB lending vehicle, the Nigeria Trust Fund. The World Bank and the European Union also took part in the financing.
The upgrading of electricity infrastructure associated with the Rusumo project is also helping local businesses and households as well, boosting the regional economy.
The AfDB said additional work is now underway to extend medium-voltage power lines to more rural communities, promoting inclusive economic growth.
Hydropower station’s impact on Burundi
Ezéchiel Bagayuwitunze, who coordinates Burundi’s share of the Rusumo project, described the overall impact the project is having on his country: “Previously, the town of Gitega and the surrounding districts suffered frequent and long power cuts and major drops in voltage, due to electricity shortages and low capacity of the existing transmission cables.
“The installation of better cables and hydroelectric power from Rusumo Falls means that we can provide a better service to people in Gitega region and the country as a whole.”
Jean Barakamfitiye, the engineer in charge of the Gitega and Muyinga substations, said that by focusing its power supply strategy on hydroelectricity, Burundi is building a greener, more sustainable future, supporting low-carbon economic and social development.
“We have a vision of a developed country in 2040 and a rich country in 2060… The Rusumo project makes a major contribution to achieving that goal.”
The AfDB said power from Rusumo has made it possible to shut down a 30MW oil-fired power station, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and off-setting emissions of greenhouse gas.
“The closure of the thermal power station helps save $2 million per month, the cost of buying fuel and lubricants,” the Bank said. |
