Developers: REGIDESO of Burundi, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETC), SNEL of DRC, Kenyan Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and Rwanda Energy Corporation (RECO)

Project detail and status: The Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) is a USD282 million regional interconnection power project connecting five African countries in the Nile Equatorial lakes region. NELSAP, one of two investment programmes under the Nile Basin Initiative, involves construction and strengthening of the electricity networks in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The project will facilitate cross- border energy and power trade in the region.

Under the project, over 700 km of new transmission line will be constructed and over 262 km of lines will be upgraded. The project is expected to start at the end of 2010 and be complete by 2014.

The key components of the project includes: 220 kV Uganda-Kenya line (256 km); 220 kV Uganda-Rwanda line (172 km); 110 kV Rwanda-Burundi line (103 km); and 220 kV Kibuye (Rwanda)-Goma-Mukungwa (Rwanda)-Kigali line.

Loans and grants worth USD162 million have already been approved by the African Development Bank (AfDB) for Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and the Nile Basin Initiative. Other financers expected include the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, World Bank and the Netherlands government.