To the casual observer, it's a scene of calm and beautyâ€"one of Rwanda's most picturesque natural wonders and a source of food, transport, and livelihood for thousands. Beneath the lake's surface, however, lies a silent, invisible threat that scientists say could turn this tranquil body of water into a zone of catastrophic destruction.
Lake Kivu, shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, holds enormous volumes of methane and carbon dioxide gases trapped deep within its waters. These gases, accumulated over centuries, sit under pressure in the lake's depths, forming a geological time bomb that, if triggered, could release a toxic cloud capable of suffocating entire towns.
Over two million people live in the lake's basin, including the cities of Goma and Rubavu, making the stakes unimaginably high. And unlike the 1986 Lake Nyos disaster in Cameroonâ€"which killed 1,700 people in a remote rural areaâ€"an eruption at Lake Kivu could hit densely populated urban centres, potentially displacing or killing millions.
Add to this the lake's position in an active volcanic zoneâ€"with Mount Nyiragongo looming nearbyâ€"and the risks become even more urgent. The 2021 eruption of Nyiragongo, which caused deadly tremors and cracked buildings in Goma, was a stark reminder of how close this threat remains.
Turning risk into resource
Rwanda, fully aware of the potential danger, has not waited for disaster to strike. Instead, the government has taken a bold and forward-looking approach to address the threat, transforming Lake Kivu's peril into a source of clean, sustainable energy.
Central to this strategy is the extraction of methane gas from the lake's depths. In 2008, Rwanda piloted the first project, Kibuye Power Plant 1. Building on that experience, the government partnered with international investors to launch KivuWatt, a large-scale methane-to-power facility operated by U.S.-based ContourGlobal, which began producing electricity in 2015.
More recently, the Shema Power Lake Kivu (SPLK) project was inaugurated in 2024. With an installed capacity of 56 megawatts, it stands as one of Rwanda's most ambitious energy projects, contributing significantly to the national grid.
The process involves pumping methane-rich water from deep beneath the lake, separating the gas, and reinjecting the remaining waterâ€"minus the methaneâ€"back into the lake at a controlled depth. Reinjection is carefully managed to ensure that it does not destabilise the lake's natural layering, known as stratification, which is essential for containing the gases.
To ensure this delicate operation is done safely, the Rwandan government established the Lake Kivu Monitoring Programme (LKMP)â€"now operating under the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). The programme constantly monitors gas concentrations, temperature gradients, and any seismic activity that could disturb the lake's stability.
In addition to monitoring, Rwanda has worked with international scientists to develop a set of Management Prescriptionsâ€"technical guidelines that define safe extraction methods, reinjection levels, and environmental limits. These prescriptions are binding on all operators and are designed to balance energy production with ecological safety.
Regional cooperation
Recognising that Lake Kivu is a shared resource, Rwanda and the DRC signed a Validation Act in 2020, committing both nations to adhere to common safety standards and collaborative oversight. The act was facilitated with support from international experts and donors, reflecting the global concern around the lake's potential hazards.
This cross-border coordination ensures that activities on either side of the lake, whether extraction or infrastructure, do not compromise the overall stability of the ecosystem.
While the risks remain, Rwanda's proactive approach has positioned it as a model of responsible natural resource management. The country is not only preventing disaster but also harnessing the lake's energy to drive socio-economic transformation.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
