This is a graphic illustration of how the floating solar plant would like on Lake Sake after completion
KIGALI – Rwanda is seeking 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 invited independent power producers to submit applications for prequalification. The deadline is November 12, 2026.
The project will combine floating solar panels with a battery energy storage system rated at 200MW/800 megawatt-hours (MWh). The batteries will store excess electricity generated during the day for use during peak demand, particularly in the evening.
The selected investor will design, finance, build, install and operate the facility, including the infrastructure needed to connect it to the national electricity grid. The project is expected to be completed and commissioned within 18 months.
Under the proposed public-private partnership, the successful developer will operate and maintain the plant for 25 years under a long-term power purchase agreement with EDCL.
A site visit for interested investors is scheduled for October 23, according to information published by IGIHE.
Théoneste Higaniro, an EDCL project manager, told The New Times that 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. 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 comes as Rwanda plans to more than double its electricity generation capacity by 2034 through investments in hydropower, solar energy and emerging technologies, including nuclear power.
REG has outlined a $3.2 billion programme to increase the country’s generation capacity from about 467MW to 1,066MW by 2034. 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.
The prequalification process will assess applicants’ technical experience and financial capacity. Interested companies must demonstrate at least 10 years of experience in developing and operating renewable energy projects.
Applicants must also provide audited financial statements showing average annual revenue of at least $300 million over the 2023–2025 period and demonstrate access to financing, including credit facilities of at least $60 million.
Companies may apply individually or form joint ventures, with a maximum of two companies in each consortium.
The project will include floating solar arrays, battery storage equipment, monitoring and control systems, substations and transmission infrastructure connecting the plant to the national grid through a nearby 220-kilovolt line.
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