The government has revised the National Electrification Plan (NEP) to augment the number of households connected to the national grid and bolster off-grid solutions, The New Times has learnt. This updated NEP is a direct response to the latest statistics on electricity access, as revealed by the National Institute of Statistics in the 5th Population and Housing Census released late last year. Environmental concerns are also a driving force behind these changes, with renewable energy taking center stage in discussions at the upcoming Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, slated for September 4 to 6, 2023.

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The summit, co-hosted by the African Union, is expected to set the stage for substantial commitments to enhance access to reliable, low-carbon energy. Minister for Environment, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, anticipates tangible pledges and commitments from participating nations to expand access to sustainable energy. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), just two percent of global investments in renewable energy over the past two decades have been allocated to Africa.

To narrow this gap, Rwanda&039;s revised NEP seeks to connect 52 percent of households to the national grid and allocate 48 percent to off-grid solutions, which include Stand Alone Solar Systems (SAS) and micro-grids. As of June 2023, 65.7 percent of Rwandan households had gained access to electricity. This figure comprises 47.6 percent connected to the national grid and 18.1 percent connected to off-grid systems, such as solar home systems and micro-grids. Rwanda has set an ambitious target to connect all households by 2024.

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The revised NEP for 2023-2024, built on the 2022 baseline, reveals significant shifts in electrification planning. Rwanda Energy Group (REG) assessed electricity connection status across the nation's sectors, incorporating factors and criteria outlined during the 2022 NEP revision. Their analysis showed that 65.2 percent of all villages now fall within the on-grid zone, encompassing 9,664 villages out of a total of 14,816. The revised plan indicates that villages in off-grid zones have risen from 2,601 to 5,090. Notably, 34.35 percent of all villages are in off-grid zones equipped with solar home systems. Of these off-grid villages, 91 (0.6 percent) are slated for micro-grid development, while 4,999 (33.7 percent) will be electrified using Standalone Solar Home Systems. This expansion of off-grid coverage follows discussions between REG and private off-grid developers who have persistently advocated for increasing the market stock in these areas to facilitate more connections. REG plans to divide these villages into two categories. The first batch of 2,000 villages will be made available to off-grid developers as a top priority, while the remainder will be considered as the second priority, contingent on the performance of the companies in the first batch.

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Villages earmarked for Stand-Alone Solar Home Systems in off-grid areas will be allocated to the Renewable Energy Fund (REF), allowing residents to acquire the technology through a subsidy scheme. This initiative aims to encourage the adoption of off-grid solutions while the government mobilizes funds to bring them onto the national grid. REG officials say there are ongoing discussions with stakeholders to explore funding possibilities, ensuring that all unconnected villages and their productive users gain access to electricity before the end of June 2024. They recommend that the revised plan be embraced by all stakeholders and development partners to accelerate the implementation of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) targets. Rwanda's investment in renewable energy is anticipated to reduce total emissions by 4.6 million tonnes, or 38 percent, by 2030, in line with its national commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Experts are urging the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi to prioritize a transition to green energy.

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"Renewable energy targets encompass an overall energy mix, expanding to clean energy and setting specific capacity goals for appropriate technologies such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal," noted Rwanda’s Minister for Environment, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya. The summit, themed "Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World," will be attended by at least 15 African Presidents. It also provides an opportunity to bolster support for the African Agenda at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28), and beyond, by spotlighting African countries' shared interests in achieving low-carbon, climate-resilient, and inclusive development.