The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Tierney, said the first phase of the project, valued at just over $360 million, is nearing completion, with all lake sites and onshore facilities already in place and offshore works now underway.

“At this stage, all of the lake sites and onshore work are largely complete, and offshore work has commenced,” Tierney explained.

“The key barge hull is under fabrication, along with pumps, compressors, and other long-lead equipment.”

“It will help meet Rwanda’s growing demand for cooking gas and automotive fuels, while reducing dependence on imported energy,” Tierney added.

Cyprien Bigirimana, a maintainance technician seen inside the barge extracting methane gas on Lake Kivu, at the Kivuwatt power plant in Kibuye, Karongi District, in the Western Province of Rwanda, on November 1, 2021. [Photo by SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images]

Signed in 2019 between GasMeth and the Government of Rwanda, the project faced initial delays caused by complex financing arrangements and global supply chain disruptions.

Tierney revealed that obtaining confirmed gas off-takers and sourcing specialised equipment took longer than anticipated.

Despite these challenges, the project has regained momentum with strong backing from the Rwandan government and international financiers, including the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

The facility, based in Karongi District’s Bwishyura Sector, began preliminary works in 2022 and currently employs about 250 people, a number expected to triple as construction ramps up next year.

“This will help cut CO₂ emissions, improve air quality, and reduce reliance on wood and charcoal, which are major drivers of deforestation,” he said.

GasMeth’s project, alongside existing methane plants KivuWatt and Shema Power Lake Kivu, could mark a turning point for Rwanda, and perhaps for Africa, in tapping lake methane as a sustainable energy source.