About

Rift Valley Energy Tanzania at a Glance

Rift Valley Energy Tanzania Ltd (RVE) is a Tanzania based renewable-energy infrastructure, project-development holding company with the purpose to develop, own and operate relevant electricity generation and rural distribution project companies, which projects are located in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. RVE is majority owned by Meridiam Infrastructure Africa Fund II SLP (MIAF II). MIAF II is managed by Meridiam SAS (the Fund Manager) which specializes in the development, financing, and long-term management of sustainable public infrastructure in three core sectors: sustainable mobility, critical public services and innovative low carbon solutions.

The subsidiaries of RVE are Mwenga Hydro Limited, Mwenga Power Services Limited, Luponde Hydro Limited, Suma Hydro Limited and Ndolela Hydro Limited, all registered and operating in Tanzania.

Over the past decade, RVE has made significant progress, in establishing a total of 7.4 MW of hydro and wind generation capacity in the Iringa and Njombe regions, and operating two rural distribution networks in the same areas, servicing a total of 38 villages with about 8,000 connections, that currently supply to about 75,000 people and hundreds of SMEs, schools, and village institutions in those project areas, with green electricity.

RVE is currently working on an ambitious project pipeline, including hydro and wind generation as well as rural distribution projects – all at different stages of development. In the Southern Highlands alone, RVE is planning to invest in three more hydro projects and to further expand its recently completed wind project, with an accumulated generation capacity of about 30 MW – and to supply additional 6,000 rural households with green, grid quality electricity through connected rural distribution networks. To be able to best serve its growing rural customer base, RVE has established its own rural distribution company, Mwenga Power Services Ltd (MPL). MPL buys electricity from RVE generation units, and onwards sells the electricity under its own brand (Mwenga Power) to its rural customers.

Fully committed to its developmental impact in the region, RVE teamed up with various partners for a “Productive Use of Electricity” financing programme. Through this programme, local small businesses have the opportunity to overcome the financial hurdles, which they often face, when investing in commercial electrical appliances, that potentially can help them to a) generate a better income for their
families and b) save the environment through the use of a clean and sustainable energy source (green electricity instead of fossil fuels). RVE also actively promotes electric cooking within its network areas, in order to avoid deforestation and respiratory heath issues for its network community.

Project Characteristics

RVE projects …

  • Are designed as profitable and therefore sustainable business models preferably with majority RVE shareholding.
  • Strictly focus on local, renewable energy resources
  • Develop grid connected or island mode energy solutions, involving state of the art electricity vending technologies (i.e. cellular based vending systems for remote rural customers)
  • Integrate regional and local energy infrastructure development initiatives.
  • Work together with local communities to best service their expectations and needs
  • Actively assist in developing local institutional frameworks to best integrate IPPs into national energy policies.

RVE Service Brand

 

 

 

 

Network

Partners

 

Tanzania Tea Packers Limited (TATEPA)

 

 

Tea Research Institute of Tanzania (TRIT)

 

RVE Management

 

RVET Board

Marvin Bell
East Africa Director – Meridiam

Matthieu Odoux
Senior Associate – Meridiam