First Megawatt Scale Photovoltaic PV Solar Energy Plant in Rwanda

BYD Company Ltd has just shipped Rwanda’s first photovoltaic solar energy system. The 8.58 Megawatt plant is expected to increase Rwanda’s total electrical generation by at least 8%, and it’s all renewable clean energy.

The project is part of a plan to increase Rwanda’s renewable energy capacity by 500% in the immediate future. Located about 60 kilometers from the Rwandan capital of Kigale, the plant will be built on land belonging to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV). The plant is to be constructed by Norway’s Scatec Solar, with an expected completion mid-summer 2014. It is estimated that once complete, the plant will generate 16 million kilowatt-hours of clean solar energy each year. The Rwanda Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) has signed a 25-year purchase agreement for energy from the plant. BYD is actively participating in the rapid development of the global PV market and has supplied Scatec Solar with modules since 2012 including a 75 megawatt project in Kalkbult, South Africa. Being one of Africa’s strongest emerging markets, Rwanda is aiming to increase the country’s generation capacity so that more than 50% of the population will have access to electricity by 2017. This means increasing current capacity from 110MW to 560MW. Tom Zhao, General Manager of BYD’s Solar Energy division, said “BYD is seeking to expand business throughout Africa which has the world’s best solar resources.”

BYD is ranked #1 at the top of Bloomberg’s and BusinessWeek’s 2009 Tech 100 List and is the leading manufacturer of advanced, environmentally-friendly battery technologies like the BYD’s Iron Phosphate battery. BYD’s solar panels and LED Lighting systems have TUV/CE and UL listings, and the company enjoys rapid growth in consumer electronics space and electrified automobile (including EVs, electric buses and EV chargers) manufacturing under its BYD brand. BYD is the fastest-growing Chinese automotive and green energy technology enterprise. The Company trades on the Hong Kong Exchange (HKE) under the ticker numbers (HK.0285 – BYD Electronics) and (HK.1211 – BYD Company Ltd.), as well as on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under the ticker numbers (002594 – BYD Company Ltd.).

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