The Karenge drinking water plant project in Rwanda is set to receive a boost of US $21M from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). This is a significant initiative aimed at addressing the growing drinking water needs of the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and the surrounding areas of the Rwamagana district until 2050.
The loan agreement between OFID and the Rwandan government was signed during the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Signatories included Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, Director General of OFID, and Jeanine Munyeshuli, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Public Investment and Resource Mobilization.
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Karenge drinking water plant project
Karenge drinking water plant project involves expanding the capacity of the Karenge drinking water treatment plant, located on the banks of Lake Mugesera in the Rwamagana district.The current capacity of the plant is 15,000 m3 per day, supplying 12,000 m3 to Kigali and 3,000 m3 to the Rwamagana district.
The expansion involves various components, such as rehabilitating intake and raw water transport pipes, relocating the pumping station, improving pump and motor capacity, and extending the drinking water transport and distribution network. New water intake pumps, drinking water storage tanks, and approximately 33 km of new pipes will be constructed.
The project is expected to be completed by 2024, at which point the expanded Karenge drinking water plant will be back in service. Upon completion, the increased capacity of the Karenge plant to 48,000 m3 per day, will contribute to meeting the drinking water needs of Kigali’s inhabitants and the Rwamagana district, playing a crucial role in ensuring access to clean and safe water for the growing population until 2050.
The total project cost is US $164.3M, with the remaining funds of US $143.4M being co-financed by other entities, including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), and the Export-Import Bank of Hungary (Exim Hungary).
