The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is planning to introduce stricter emissions testing for industries, building on the country's vehicle emissions inspection programme as part of broader efforts to curb air pollution. The plan was announced by REMA Director General Juliet Kabera during an appearance before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Unity and Security, where she outlined measures to address environmental risks and disaster impacts. ALSO READ: Rwandan vehicle owners hit the garage after 2,000 fail emissions tests Kabera said REMA is currently analysing data from vehicle emissions tests to identify the main causes of test failures before rolling out a similar monitoring system for industries. What we are seeing is that we have a huge amount of information from people who take cars for testing and come back without reaching the required pass level, and now we are analysing what the problem is, she said. It is an ecosystem that we want to work on so that vehicle emissions meet standards that do not pollute the air. Vehicle emissions testing, introduced in August 2025, is conducted at automobile inspection centres across the country. Ndera Automobile Inspection Centre handles emissions tests for motorcycles in Kigali and heavy vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes, while Remera serves smaller vehicles. Additional inspection centres operate in Rwamagana, Musanze and Huye, supported by a mobile inspection lane covering parts of the Western and Southern provinces. Kabera said the lessons from the vehicle inspection programme will help strengthen oversight of industrial emissions. The enhanced emission system is one we want to expand to industries. We want to make sure that testing in industries is conducted rigorously, she said. The initiative comes as the government steps up efforts to improve air quality amid growing concerns over emissions from transport and industrial activities. ALSO READ: Air quality: Govt introduces changes in vehicle emissions testing Cleaner production Daniel Nkubito Ugirashebuja, Coordinator of the Cleaner Production and Climate Innovation Centre under the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA), said industries can significantly reduce pollution by adopting cleaner production technologies that capture and reuse emissions instead of releasing them into the atmosphere. He said gases such as ammonia and other industrial chemicals can be recovered and converted into useful products. There is ammonia, along with other chemicals, being released, yet they could be captured and turned into other products. Resource efficiency and cleaner production processes help limit air pollution by capturing these emissions for processing, he said. Ugirashebuja noted that industries can install emission-control systems and seek technical support from the Cleaner Production and Climate Innovation Centre to improve their production processes. Enforcement is important, but industries also need support to reach the required standards. Discussions are ongoing to help them better understand the available systems, he said. He added that black smoke emitted by some factories may contain valuable substances that can be recovered through proper treatment. The reason some industries release black smoke is that it contains ammonia and other gases that have economic value. Once treated and recovered, the remaining emissions would largely be harmless white smoke, he said. According to Ugirashebuja, while emission-control technologies can be expensive, the government supports private investors by providing grants covering up to 30 per cent of the cost of eligible equipment. He also said machine efficiency, routine maintenance and effective filtration systems play a critical role in reducing industrial emissions. As enablers of the private sector, we plan to continue working with industries by demonstrating available technologies and raising awareness on cleaner production systems. That is still in the pipeline, he said. Industries highlight investments Some manufacturers say they have already invested heavily in technologies to reduce emissions. Aphrodis Tumusifu, Safety and Environmental Manager at West International Holding Rwanda Cement, said the company uses the same environmental protection technologies and standards as its Chinese subsidiaries. The company has installed 153 dust collectors across its production lines to capture dust before it is released into the atmosphere. The collected material is recycled back into the production process. We believe that adopting modern emission-control technologies, combined with regular maintenance and strict environmental management, is essential for reducing industrial air pollution, Tumusifu said. Jean-Emile Tousch, Director General of SteelRwa Industries Ltd, said environmental protection has been central to the company's operations since it was established in 2008. He said the steel manufacturer has invested in modern fume extraction and filtration systems, routine maintenance of environmental equipment and cleaner production technologies. The company is also investing about $2 million in a new-generation Secondary Fume Extraction System to further improve emissions control. However, Tousch noted that adopting advanced environmental technologies remains expensive. One of the main challenges is the significant capital investment required for advanced environmental technologies. Modern emission-control systems represent substantial costs that industries must absorb while remaining competitive, he said. He also called for affordable financing, stable industrial policies and technical support to accelerate the adoption of cleaner technologies. While welcoming REMA's planned industrial emissions monitoring programme, Tousch urged regulators to tailor testing requirements to different sectors. Industrial facilities operate with very different manufacturing processes, raw materials, production capacities and emission profiles. A steel plant cannot be assessed in the same way as a cement plant, a food-processing factory or a chemical manufacturer, he said. He said monitoring frameworks should be sector-specific and aligned with internationally recognised standards and best available technologies. We believe that through continued collaboration between government, regulators, academia and the private sector, Rwanda can continue building a modern manufacturing base that is both competitive and environmentally responsible, he said.
