Ruzizi IV is a proposed 287 MW regional hydropower plant on the Ruzizi River at the Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo border. It will be the fourth plant in the Ruzizi cascade, with its electricity shared among Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
AfDB-supported preparation covers the technical, economic, financial, institutional, environmental and social studies needed to move the project toward a bankable regional investment. Ruzizi IV remains distinct from Ruzizi III and from the operating Ruzizi I and II plants.
The power plant will be located on the Ruzizi River, which forms the common border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, approximately five kilometres west of Bugarama in Rwanda's Western Province. Ruzizi IV will be developed near the existing Ruzizi I and II plants and the planned Ruzizi III plant. The facility is planned as the fourth hydropower station in the cascade, with an installed capacity of 287 MW. The generated electricity will be shared equally among Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Verified implementation and technical context: The project is being prepared through regional institutions responsible for the Ruzizi basin and Great Lakes electricity cooperation. AfDB records describe a 287 MW plant intended to complete development of the remaining hydropower potential in the cascade. The preparation programme includes engineering and planning studies, environmental and social analysis, institutional arrangements, financial modelling and the definition of an implementation structure that can serve all three participating countries. Any current profile must avoid importing financing, procurement or construction milestones from Ruzizi III, which is a separate project with a different development history.
1) Address the chronic energy deficit in the Great Lakes Region by adding 287 MW of renewable run-of-river capacity to the interconnected grids of Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda, exploiting the full hydropower potential of the Ruzizi River. 2) Support economic development, particularly in mining and agro-industry, with an identified immediate demand of 80 MW in Burundi, 60 MW in Kivu (eastern DRC), and 60 MW in Rwanda. 3) Complement the Ruzizi III plant to meet growing regional power demand, given that Ruzizi III alone will only partially address the significant deficit observed on the interconnected grid from 2022 onward. 4) Increase the share of renewable energy in the regional energy mix and provide more affordable electricity through efficient use of shared water resources. 5) Strengthen regional integration through shared infrastructure and power trade under the CEPGL framework, contributing to the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) and the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP). 6) Create an estimated 4,000 jobs across development, construction, and operational phases. 7) Improve access to electricity for millions of households, small and medium-sized enterprises, and industries, thereby improving living conditions and quality of basic social service delivery including health and education.