Rwanda is inviting private investors to develop a 200-megawatt floating solar power plant on Lake Sake in Ngoma District, Eastern Province, equipped with a battery storage system capable of supplying electricity for four hours. The Energy Development Corporation Limited (EDCL), a subsidiary of state-owned Rwanda Energy Group (REG), has set a prequalification deadline of November 12, 2026, with a site visit scheduled for October 23.
The facility will combine floating solar panels with a battery energy storage system rated at 200MW/800 megawatt-hours, storing excess electricity generated during the day for use during peak demand in the evening. The selected investor will design, finance, build, install and operate the plant, including infrastructure to connect it to the national electricity grid. The project is expected to be completed and commissioned within 18 months. Under a public-private partnership, the successful developer will operate and maintain the plant for 25 years under a long-term power purchase agreement with EDCL.
According to EDCL project manager Théoneste Higaniro, Lake Sake was selected partly because the Eastern Province receives abundant sunshine throughout the year. The project is expected to support Rwanda's efforts to expand renewable energy generation while improving electricity supply, since battery storage can help reduce the loss of excess solar power and make electricity available when demand rises. The government is also considering installing floating solar panels at the planned Nyabarongo II hydropower project, potentially adding another 200MW of capacity, Higaniro said.
The Lake Sake project aligns with Rwanda's broader energy ambitions. REG has outlined a 3.2 billion dollar programme to increase the country's generation capacity from about 467MW to 1,066MW by 2034 through investments in hydropower, solar energy and emerging technologies including nuclear power. Installed capacity has grown from 100.4MW in 2010 to about 473MW in 2026, while solar power accounts for approximately 4.2% of the electricity generated in the country. Rwanda aims to source at least 60% of its electricity generation from renewable energy by 2030.
Applicants must demonstrate at least 10 years of experience in developing and operating renewable energy projects. They must also provide audited financial statements showing average annual revenue of at least 300 million dollars over the 2023 to 2025 period and demonstrate access to financing, including credit facilities of at least 60 million dollars. Companies may apply individually or form joint ventures, with a maximum of two companies in each consortium.
For Rwandan businesses and households, this project means greater potential electricity availability and reduced reliance on peak-hour shortages, though power costs will depend on the terms negotiated between REG and the selected developer.