Rwamagana solar is a 8.5 MW solar power plant in Eastern Province, Rwanda. It is operated by Scatec Solar Company & GigaWatt Global Cooperatief. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.6k homes (estimated). It ranks #9 of 12 Rwanda power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2015, it is around 11 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 3.5% of Rwanda's electricity; the national grid averages 354 gCO₂/kWh (49.6% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061159.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000827720; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
Technically it is described as Assumed PV. Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts or fuel; output varies by time of day and weather, so it pairs with storage or flexible backup.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Owner
Operated by Scatec Solar Company & GigaWatt Global Cooperatief.
Local climate & thermal context
This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 2.0°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 0.0% at warm-season highs here (estimate).
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
Rwanda has 1 solar power plant in this dataset, together about 8 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Jabana 2 · Oil · 20 MW · Kigali
- Jabana 1 · Oil · 7.8 MW · Kigali
- Nyabarongo I · Hydro · 28 MW · Southern Province
- Ntaruka · Hydro · 11.25 MW · Northern Province
- Mukungwa · Hydro · 12 MW · Northern Province
- Mukungwa II · Hydro · 2.5 MW · Northern Province
Location
Coordinates -2.026, 30.377 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Rwamagana solar?
Rwamagana solar is a 8.5 MW solar power plant in Eastern Province, Rwanda, commissioned in 2015.
Who operates Rwamagana solar?
Rwamagana solar is operated by Scatec Solar Company & GigaWatt Global Cooperatief.