Songa Energy is developing two run-of-river hydropower plants in rural Burundi. We work with local communities and the national utility company to extend transmission lines into the area surrounding the hydroelectric plants, providing much needed electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. With mountainous terrain and consistent surface water flow, Burundi is an ideal country for development of small hydropower.
In 2015 Songa Energy began investigating several locations across Burundi and was given rights to study four hydropower sites in central Burundi. Songa Energy prioritized two of the four sites for immediate development – with a combined capacity of over 10MW, and prefeasibility studies for both sites were completed in 2016. Power purchase agreements and PPP agreements have been signed for both sites, detailed studies and design were completed in 2022, and construction began on 24 May 2023 on the Upper Ruvyironza site.
Songa Energy Burundi is a joint venture between Songa Energy US and Virunga Power. The founder and CEO of Songa Energy, Daniel Brose, has lived and worked in Burundi for 25 years – working in sustainable development, agribusiness, renewable energy and joint ventures. Brian Kelly is the founder and CEO of Virunga Power, and he and Virunga Power are leading investment and structuring, engineering design and optimization, tendering, construction management and operations.
