Burundi this week inaugurated the Jiji hydroelectric plant in Songa zone, Bururi Province, seeking to power more households and industries.

President Evariste Ndayishimiye launched the project expected to generate 32.5MW as part of a broader effort to achieve national energy self-sufficiency. With the 17MW Mulembwe plant nearing completion, officials say the two projects will have an annual production of 235 gigawatt hours of clean energy annually and will provide electricity to 15,000 households, 7,000 businesses and 1,700 industrial facilities.

The construction of the two plants at a cost of $320 million is funded by the Burundi government, the African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, World Bank and the European Union.

President Ndayishimiye noted Burundi’s installed capacity had increased from 47.5MW in 2020 to over 118MW in 2025.“Jiji hydroelectric plant will produce more power in addition to the solar energy generated from Vugizo, Buhiga and Mubuga sites built, thanks to the close collaboration with the government of Burundi and development partners. This is an opportunity for investors in the sector of energy,” he said.“The fact that the Jiji and Mulembwe dam project is a renewable energy project, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, is particularly significant,” said Edward Claessen, head of the European Investment Bank in East Africa in a statement. “Our financing for this project formed part of the European Union's strategy to develop clean, sustainable infrastructure in Africa and is also aligned with decarbonisation efforts needed by companies to grow.”

We are proud to have supported this project in close collaboration with the government of Burundi and other partners.”Hawa Cissé Wague, World Bank representative in Burundi, said Jiji was going to be a transformational project with strong social and economic impact.“It will improve access to electricity for the population, support industrialisation, job creation and economic growth,” Wague said.

Construction of the Jiji and Mulembwe dams, located in the south of the country, began in December 2019 and was initially planned to be completed within 42 months.

However, fuel shortages, which have affected the country in recent years, and landslides during the rainy seasons, which made access to the work sites difficult, delayed completion.

The Minister of Energy and Mines, Ibrahim Uwizeye, further blamed the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and Covid-19 pandemic for the delays, citing supply chain disruption and fluctuating prices, which pushed the cost of construction from $270 million to $320 million.

Consequently, on January 10, 2024, the World Bank’s concessional International Development Association (IDA) fund gave $50 million to Gitega to complete the hydroelectric plants in line with the country’s long-term vision for reliable, affordable and clean energy.

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