Ruzizi River

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Hippopotami in the Ruzizi River in Burundi

The Ruzizi River flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa, descending rapidly from about 1,500 metres above sea level to about 770 metres above sea level over its length. At its southern end, the Ruzizi Plain has only gentle hills, and the River flows into Lake Tanganyika through a delta.

It delineates the southern border of Rwanda with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and, along with Lake Tanganyika, it forms the border between the DRC and Burundi. The Fizi-Baraka mountains tower over the river. The Bridge of Concord links the DRC and Burundi, near its mouth.

The Ruzizi I hydroelectric dam was built at the Ruzizi River outlet from Lake Kivu in 1958, affecting the level and outflow of the lake. The dam delivers electricity to Bubanza and Kigoma via the Mururu substation, and is believed to have an optimal capacity, with the present infrastructure, of generating 148 GWh annually.

The Ruzizi II power station was added in 1989. Ruzizi I and II are operated by a tri-national company (Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo) but electricity production is insufficient to meet the needs of the adjacent areas of these three countries and a further dam, Ruzizi III, situated about 25 km downstream, is planned.