Assessment of sustainable electricity generation scenarios in Burundi using multi-criteria approaches
Date
2025
Authors
Igiraneza, N. L.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
With an 11% electrification rate, Burundi is one of the countries in the sub-Saharan region still facing significant energy access challenges in the region. This has considerably impacted the economic development, energy security and technical advancement of the country. The country primarily relies on hydroelectric power, with 49MW installed out of a potential 1700MW, as well as diesel thermal plants, solar, biomass, peat, firewood, coal, bagasse, although on a smaller scale. Due to a poor energy mix and inadequate maintenance of existing hydro infrastructure, technical issues, like insufficient capacity, supply disruptions lead to low-quality electrical supply. Moreover, the increasing reliance on traditional biomass has led to deforestation, and environmental degradation. There have been nevertheless attempted initiatives to close the energy supply and demand imbalance, while promoting renewable energy integration. Burundi is boosting energy generation through public and private initiatives, including rehabilitating existing hydropower infrastructure, developing rural electrification with mini-hydro, solar, and wind power, extending electric networks and building regional plants with neighbors. Feasibility studies for solar and wind power investments are also in progress. Despite this, there is no data and structured modeling tool available to support evidence-based decisions about these investments. This study aimed to assess the pathways to electricity generation by developing and testing an energy planning tool, that integrated available resources and the future energy demand in Burundi, to close the existing gap between supply and demand. It will serve as a resource for the relevant stakeholders as they tackle the issues of energy access, affordability, security, decarbonization and decentralization, and support potential investors in their decision making.
Description
Full - text thesis
Keywords
Citation
Igiraneza, N. L. (2025). Assessment of sustainable electricity generation scenarios in Burundi using multi-criteria approaches [Strathmore University]. http://hdl.handle.net/11071/15975