Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and French petroleum giant TotalEnergies have signed an agreement that will see the latter promoting renewable and decarbonized energies through partnerships with Rwanda’s private sector.
The agreement was signed during a one-day visit by Patrick Pouyanné, the Chairman and CEO of Total Energies, to Rwanda on January 30, where he was received by President Paul Kagame.
Different areas of collaboration entailed in the pact include; energy products distribution such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and electric charging, supply of LPG as a substitute for burning biomass and renewable hydro-electricity generation.
It also holds the development of power storage solutions for the electrical network and the development of Natural Based Solutions for carbon storage.
The agreement will also allow the implementation of education and training programmes on new energies and the energy transition.
Clare Akamanzi, Chief Executive of RDB said the investment that TotalEnergies will make in clean energy storage, distribution, partnerships with private sector companies in Rwanda and beyond, is timely for a country that puts the environment at the heart of its development strategies.
"Additionally, the skills transfer in critical areas such as renewable energies and energy transition will undoubtedly contribute to the development of local expertise in the energy sector," she said.
Pouyanné said: "We are pleased to seize this opportunity to work together with Rwanda and contribute to the development of its energy sector, in line with TotalEnergies' ambition to become a global multi-energy company."
"This collaboration agreement illustrates TotalEnergies' commitment to deploying its multi-energy strategy in Africa, particularly in Rwanda, a country with a booming economy."
The firm also announced the incorporation of a local branch ‘TotalEnergies Marketing Rwanda Ltd’, and the opening of a permanent representation office in Kigali.
During his visit, Pouyanné told members of the Rwandan private sector that there are business opportunities within different projects done by the firm beyond oil and Gas that they can tap into.
Active in over 130 countries worldwide, the firm is known for being involved in energy that is more affordable, cleaner, more reliable, and accessible to as many people as possible.