Lake Kivu Gas Extraction 5 1 Executive Summary In Lake Kivu on the border between the Republic of Rwanda and the Democ-ratic Republic of Congo some 300 km3 of dissolved carbon dioxide and 55-60 km3 of methane gas is accumulated and trapped at significant depth in the lake. The lake is located in the Albertine Rift, on the Western part of the East African Rift. Measurements taken in the mid-2000s showed the lake’s methane rising at a rate that could cause Kivu’s overall gas concentration to approach saturation by the end of the century. Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes that lies on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. “The automatic adjustment of their engines is unique,” continues Gummerus. Lake Kivu is up to 500 meters deep and it is the only lake in the world that emits methane gas from the lake bed into the water. The 2,400 sq.km lake contains high concentrations of naturally occurring methane gas (CH 4) and carbon dioxide (CO 2), with the highest concentrations at depths ranging from 270m to 500m.The oxygenated upper layer of the lake from the surface to a depth of 60m supports the lake’s biology. The lake is 485 m deep with a surface area of 2400 km2 at an altitude of 1462 m. Lake Kivu, however, has almost 1,000 times more concentrated dissolved gases than its Cameroonian counterparts, which both erupted in the 1980s. Wärtsilä 34SG engines are optimised to run on Lake Kivu’s gas mixes that have a lower heating value than normal natural gas. The Lake Kivu project will reduce dangerous levels of methane gas and generate electricity for millions. Lake Nyos is a fraction of the size of Lake Kivu. But a similar project for Lake Kivu might run into tens of millions of dollars, … There, a solution was found to prevent it from happening again.

Vents were installed to allow the gas to bubble out of the lake at a controlled rate. The lake is located in the Albertine Rift, on the Western part of the East African Rift. Methane Gas in Rwanda is found in Lake Kivu in the Eastern African Rift Zone and the DRC. Vents were installed to allow the gas to bubble out of the lake at a controlled rate.

November-2019: GasMeth Energy (“GasMeth”), the Kigali based Gas Development and CNG business, is pleased to announce the successful completion of a $3.5m Two Year Short Term Loan with the Bank of Kigali.

The Methane gas from Lake Kivu is sufficient to generate 700 MW for 55 years. Measurements taken in the mid-2000s showed the lake’s methane rising at a rate that could cause Kivu’s overall gas concentration to approach saturation by the end of the century.