At COP31, Rwanda seeks US$3bn for power and shows wetland projects protecting 220,000 Kigali residents from floods
Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva set out plans to expand transmission capacity by 70% and double regional electricity trade, and asked development banks for project finance.
Antalya — Rwanda used the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, to seek investment in electricity, urban resilience and climate-smart farming, KT Press reported.
Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva took part in several high-level events. At a session on the Global Grids Accelerator on 12 November, chaired by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Rwanda set out plans to expand its transmission capacity by 70% and raise regional electricity trade from 100 to 200 megawatts.
US$3 billion for power
The country presented estimated investment needs of US$3.05 billion for its electricity plans, including US$1.3 billion for the grid, and called for easier access to project finance from multilateral development banks and development finance institutions. Discussions also covered Mission 300, which aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
Protecting Kigali from floods
At a dialogue on urban resilience, Rwanda presented about US$195 million of investments in Kigali, including the restoration and protection of five wetlands covering roughly 500 hectares, intended to reduce flood risk for more than 220,000 residents. It also stressed the need to build resilience in secondary cities as urbanisation spreads beyond the capital.
Rwanda pointed to its Vision 2050, Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy, the Rwanda Green Fund, climate budget tagging and a green taxonomy as tools to steer climate investment, and called for climate finance that is more accessible and predictable for developing countries.
Source: KT Press, 12 November 2026.
