By Dipo Olowookere
A Portuguese company called Efacec Power Solutions (EPS) has been chosen to construct three new 200kV substations in Rwanda, expected to distribute electricity to the country’s rural areas, such as Rwabusoro, Mamba e Rilima.
The technical abilities and skills of Efacec’s High Tension Substations area was the reason behind being chosen by the tender’s winning company – STEG International Services, from Tunisia – to implement the project of engineering, supply, supervision and commissioning of the three new substations on a turn-key basis. This contract is worth approximately 10.5 million euro and has an 18 months’ execution deadline.
This construction work will be fundamental to give flow to the 80MW produced in Mamba’s Biomass Power Station for the national electricity grid. Currently only 25% of Rwanda’s households have power. This project is part of the government ambition to bring electrical energy to 70% of Rwanda’s families, until 2018.
According to Ângelo Ramalho, Efacec’s CEO, “being chosen for this project attests, once again, Efacec’s skills. We are proud of this new act of trust bestowed to our company. We’ll continuously work in order to bring power to all the parts of the world”.
The partnership established with STEG results from an ongoing project that Efacec has in Tunisia for STEG: the execution of a substations contract.
Efacec has strong international presence that produces products for power transmission and distribution (adapters, service, high and medium voltage switchgear and automation gear) for the Energy, Environmental, Industry and Railway sectors and develops solution for Electrical Mobility, namely an energy charging system.
EPS develops its activity in strategic markets, such as Spain, Central Europe, United States, Latin America, Brazil, Maghreb, Southern Africa and India.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Business Post Contributor