News

Rwanda seeks drilling grant from GRMF program

Rwanda seeks drilling grant from GRMF program Start of Drilling campaign, Rwanda (source: Twitter/ Silas Lwakabamba)
Alexander Richter 8 Jun 2015

Rwanda's Energy Development Corp. Ltd applied for GRMF drilling grants for geothermal exploration drilling.

Reported locally, Rwanda’s Energy Development Corporation Limited (EDCL) has applied to the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Fund (GRMF) for exploration drilling in Kinigi, northern Rwanda.

The Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility was established to encourage development of geothermal projects, by securing funding for early drilling.

Emmanuel Kamanzi, the EDCL Managing Director described four prospect areas that were identified: Gisenyi, Bugarama, Kinigi and Karisimbi. “Two exploratory wells were drilled in 2013 and 2014 at Karisimbi prospect, but no resource was proven.

More detailed surface investigations are planned to start this year for two prospects in the Northern and Western provinces namely Kinigi and Gisenyi respectively for possible exploration drilling,” he said. The African Union Commission, Germany though state development agency, KfW and the European Union set up GRMF, to help pay for geothermal development in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Source: East African Business Week