Birds were shaking off the night coldness at break of dawn, while the breeze swept apathetically above the waters of Lake Kivu, but off the shores of the lake a miracle was happening- the Methane gas barge extractor was being pushed into the water.
The moving into the water of the delayed barge that is expected to extract gas from the base of the lake which has been regarded as dangerous once it explodes started at 5am local time in the morning.
The barge began the 13 kilometer push into the water at 5am local time
Using heavy cranes with drones dressing the air, technicians started the miracle of pushing the barge 13 kilometers off the shore of Lake Kivu in Karongi District into the lake where it is expected to extract the gas.
“The barge kivuwatt project is now moving to the production site kibuye,” said sylidio sebuharara, a journalist who was first at the site as the barge was moved into the waters.
After reaching its production site, the barge will be supported with four cranes on each sides to protect it from wind while an extraction pipe of 350 meters will be connected to move up water that is mixed with methane Gas.
Here the barge is seen a few kilometers from the shore of the lake
The use of a floating barge in Methane gas extraction is a unique technology that has been tested on Lake Kivu, implying its success is an important mark in the use of technology worldwide.
The first generation from the first phase is expected to begin in July, 2015.
The barge that belongs to Kivuwatt project by American company contour global marks the first phase of the project that is expected to generate 100 megawatts from the bed of the lake. This first phase is expected to generate 25 megawatts that will be pushed to the national grid.
The Kivuwatt project has three phases with the first phase that has been almost completed today by pushing the barge into the water is expected to cost over $142 million (about Rwf92 billion).
Photos taken by a drone show the barge many kilometers away from the shore of the lake
In a bid to increase electricity on its grid while also solving the challenge of the gas likely to explode, the Government entered into a contract with Contour Global in 2009 to extract the gas and generate 100 megawatts with the first phase generating 25 megawatts.
But Kivuwatt project’s first phase that would require to build the barge off shore and push it into the water was expected to generate the first 25 megawatts by 2013 but was delayed with several hindrances that forced the government and contour Global to extend the deadline to January 2015.
This, therefore created pessimism as to whether the expected methane gas would help government meet its targets of generating 563MW by 2017 from the current 145MW.