Burundi - Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries Power Interconnection Project (NELSAP)

This project aims to provide a grant of an amount not exceeding EUR 14,700,000 to the Republic of Burundi to finance the funding gap of the Interconnection of Electric Grids of Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries. The initial design of the project consists of the construction of 769 km of 220 kV and 110 kV transmission lines and 17 transformer stations to interconnect the electric grids of Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries, namely; Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo and Rwanda in order to improve transboundary energy exchange among those countries. The shortfall arose mainly from depreciation of loan currencies (UA and JPY) against the contract currencies of EUR and US Dollar and variation orders due to changes in scope. This additional funding will enable the construction of a new 220 kV Kamanyola - Bujumbura line which involves the construction in Bujumbura of a new 220/110/30/10 kV substation which was not initially foreseen in the project.