The Hydroneo East Africa tender is divided into two lots. The first covers the design and construction of the 10 MW Mpanda hydroelectric power station. The selected company will be responsible for the detailed design of the power station and its associated infrastructure, as well as its construction and commissioning. The second package covers the design and construction of the interconnection infrastructure, including a 27 km 33 kV transmission line between the power station and the Rubirizi substation.
Companies interested in this project can apply for one or both lots before 25 July 2023. The Mpanda hydroelectric project is being developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Burundian government and Mpanda Hydro Power. The special-purpose company, which is wholly owned by Hydroneo East Africa, plans to build a run-of-river power station on the Mpanda river in Bubanza province.
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According to its projections, the Mpanda hydroelectric plant will supply 10% of the electricity in the network of Burundi’s Water and electricity production and distribution company (REGIDESO), with which it has already signed a power purchase agreement (PPA). Hydroneo is expected to invest 43.5 million dollars in the construction of the future facilities. The company, based in Paris, France, expects to reach financial close on the project in 2022, before starting work, which will take between 12 and 18 months.
In its development phase, the project to build a run-of-river power station on the Mpanda river has received support from the investment consultancy Finergreen and the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), a renewable energy financing platform funded by the UK government.
Jean Marie Takouleu