KivuWatt Impact Evaluation Study

Before 2016, Rwanda’s electric system was short of generation capacity to meet its energy demands, and the energy supply was expensive and unreliable. Therefore, it was critical to develop the KivuWatt power plant to increase the supply of affordable and reliable electricity, and ultimately contribute to the improvement of the country’s energy security and economic development opportunities.

FMO commissioned Enea Consulting and its partner DataStorm to conduct a full socio-economic and environmental impact evaluation study of the KivuWatt project.

IMPACT EVALUATION GOALS

The goals of FMO in mandating this study was to assess the:

1. Impacts of the investment in KivuWatt power plant on the Rwandan energy sector.
2. Socio-economic impacts linked to the improvement of energy availability and reliability on households, health centres, schools and businesses at national level.
3. Local impacts of KivuWatt project through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

The baseline for this study was conducted in March 2015 and the endline in October 2019. The impacts on the Rwandan energy sector were assessed from government institutions data and in-field interviews, the socio-economic impacts were assessed through a national survey with a statistical approach seeking to be representative of populations at household levels and at health centres, schools and businesses levels, and the local impact of KivuWatt was assessed though interviews and in-field visit to the KivuWatt plant.