Songa Energy

What Songa Energy does

Songa Energy Burundi is a portfolio company of Anzana Electric Group that develops, builds, owns and operates two grid-connected run-of-river hydropower plants in south-central Burundi — the 1.65 MW Upper Ruvyironza plant on the Ruvyironza River and the 9 MW Upper Mulembwe plant on the Mulembwe River in Bururi Province, for combined installed capacity of 10.65 MW and projected average annual production of 47.5 GWh (approximately 20% of Burundi's national electricity consumption). The technology is conventional run-of-river hydro: intake structures, waterways, penstocks and powerhouses leveraging consistent surface flow from Burundi's mountainous terrain, supported by gaging stations that collect twice-daily hydrology data correlated against historical records to optimize plant design over a 25-50 year operating horizon.

The business model is long-duration power purchase agreement (PPA)–driven: Songa Energy sells wholesale electricity to the state-owned utility REGIDESO under a 25-year operating agreement signed after Council of Ministers approval in March 2021, with output injected into the Burundi national grid and a mandated US $4.74M depreciation fund for the infrastructure. Customers are functionally a single off-taker (REGIDESO) serving rural communities in Gitega and Bururi Provinces where electrification rates sit below 5%; secondary beneficiaries include the Burundi Ministry of Energy, hospitals, and communications infrastructure (disaster risk reduction narrative). GTM is enterprise and government-led: direct engagement with ministries and the regulator, PPA structuring with the national utility, and event-driven credibility building through industry forums such as the East Africa Power Industry Convention.

The company is registered as a limited liability company in both Burundi and the United States, with 1-10 employees led by President and CEO Daniel Brose and Director of Engineering Kevin Crew. Co-developer and investor Virunga Power (backed by ElectriFI, REPP and the UK's Gridworks Development Partners with a $50M commitment) and the African Development Bank (feasibility-grant support) act as execution partners, while TDB Group and Anzana Electric Group provided a $35M project finance facility that reached financial close in February 2025 for the two-plant build. Construction on the Upper Ruvyironza site began on May 24, 2023, with first power expected late 2024 or early 2025; Upper Mulembwe is targeted for 2027 generation.

Name

Songa Energy

Legal name

Songa Energy Burundi

Website

https://songaenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Songa Energy develops, builds, owns, and operates two grid-connected run-of-river hydropower plants (10.65 MW combined) in south-central Burundi, selling all output to the state utility REGIDESO under long-term PPAs to expand rural electricity access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydropower Generation

NAICS

Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Run-of-River Hydroelectric Generation (EUACAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydropower EPC & Construction (Civil Works, Electromechanical) (EUACAEAF), Hydropower Plant Development & Permitting (Greenfield/Brownfield) (EUACAEAE), Hydro BOP Civil & Water Conveyance (Dams, Spillways, Penstocks, Canals) (EUAMAFAG)

Keywords

• Run-of-river hydropower
• Renewable electricity generation
• Power purchase agreements
• Grid-connected power supply
• Hydropower project development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bujumbura

HQ country

Burundi

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Generation and Sales: Songa Energy generates electricity through its hydropower plants and sells power to the Burundi national utility REGIDESO under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). The company develops, builds, owns and operates the plants, delivering electricity onto the national grid. Average annual power production from both sites is projected at 47.5 GW-hr, representing nearly 20% of Burundi's total electricity consumption.
2. Grid-connected Power Supply: Revenue generated from supplying renewable electricity to the national grid, with projects supporting disaster risk reduction by enabling hospitals, communications networks, and businesses to function during emergencies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Songa Energy develops, builds, owns and operates two grid-connected run-of-river hydropower plants in south-central Burundi: the Upper Ruvyironza River plant (1.65 MW) and the Upper Mulembwe River plant (9.0 MW), totaling approximately 10.65 MW of installed capacity. The company sells the electricity generated from these plants to the Burundi national utility REGIDESO under long-term power purchase agreements, supplying an average projected 47.5 GW-hr annually onto the national grid.

Product overview

Songa Energy develops, builds, owns and operates two grid-connected hydropower plants in south-central Burundi. The company operates two run-of-river hydroelectric projects: the Upper Ruvyironza Hydropower Plant (Ruvyi102) with 1.65 MW capacity and the Upper Mulembwe Hydropower Plant (Mule037) with 9.0 MW capacity, totaling approximately 10.65 MW of installed capacity. The projects connect to the Burundi national grid to provide electricity access to rural communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Upper Ruvyironza Hydropower Plant (Ruvyi102) A 1.65 MW run-of-river hydropower plant located on the Ruvyironza River (the southern-most tributary of the Nile) in south-central Burundi. It features intake structure, waterway, penstock, and powerhouse, generating renewable electricity delivered onto the Burundi national grid under long-term PPAs with REGIDESO.
• Upper Mulembwe Hydropower Plant (Mule037) A 9.0 MW run-of-river hydropower plant located on the Mulembwe River in Bururi Province, Burundi. It utilizes greater water flow and elevation change than the Ruvyironza site to produce significantly more power, with output delivered to the Burundi national grid under PPAs with REGIDESO.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 20% of Burundi's total electricity consumption
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• Government of BurundicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2021The Council of Ministers of Burundi Government gave formal and final approval for Songa Energy's two hydropower projects on March 17, 2021. The government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Songa Energy in 2015 for completion of energy production studies.
• SHER Ingénieurs-ConseilssupportiveImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Belgium-based consulting firm awarded $990,000 contract to perform final technical studies and provide advisory services to Songa Energy. Partnered with ARTELIA Eau & Environment for field studies covering hydrology, topography, geotechnical, environmental/social, engineering design, and economic analysis.
• African Development BanksupportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019African Development Bank helped Songa Energy source consultants to perform final feasibility studies on its two run-of-river hydropower projects, including studies for solar hybridization, grid interconnection, and environmental and social impact assessments.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE Africa: French multinational utility with significant renewable and conventional generation presence across Africa, including acquisition of PowerGen in 2021. Comparable as an established African-independent power producer with project development and operating scale well beyond Songa's, and as a likely strategic consolidator of platforms like Anzana/Virunga/Songa.
• EDF Renewables: Subsidiary of EDF Group focused on renewable energy development globally, with a growing portfolio in Africa. Comparable broader renewable IPP with emerging-market presence, project finance expertise, and potential as a strategic acquirer of African renewable platforms.
• Globeleq: UK-headquartered, Africa-focused power producer with renewable and thermal generation assets across multiple African countries. Comparable as an established multi-country African independent power producer using similar project finance instruments and targeting off-takers like national utilities, though at materially larger scale and a broader technology mix.
• Scatec ASA: Norwegian renewable energy independent power producer with solar, wind, and hydropower projects across Africa and emerging markets. Directly comparable in project-finance-driven renewable IPP economics and emerging-market focus, though at far greater scale and diversification than Songa.

Emerging players

• d.light: US/Kenya-based pay-as-you-go solar company focused on off-grid and weak-grid households across East Africa. Comparable target customer (low-income, un-electrified population in Songa's served geography) but distributed-solar business model rather than utility-scale generation.
• M-KOPA Solar: Kenya-based pay-as-you-go solar energy company serving off-grid households and small businesses across East Africa. Compares on the demand-side equation (energy access in rural East Africa, under-electrified populations) but uses distributed solar home systems rather than grid-connected run-of-river hydro.

Direct peers

• PowerGen Renewable Energy: Kenya/East Africa-headquartered renewable energy developer (acquired by ENGIE in 2021) that builds, owns, and operates micro-grids and renewable projects across East Africa. Targets the same rural electrification customer base as Songa with comparable asset-light and project-finance-driven economics.
• Bujagali Energy: Uganda-based independent power producer that developed and operates the 250 MW Bujagali run-of-river hydropower plant on the Victoria Nile. The closest geographic and structural comparable in East Africa: a single-asset hydropower IPP with a long-term PPA (UETCL) financed by development finance institutions.
• Hydromax: Uganda-based small hydropower developer with multiple run-of-river projects in East Africa. Closely comparable in project scale (multi-MW small hydro), East African geography, and asset class (low-impact run-of-river hydropower selling into a national grid PPA).
• Virunga Power: Direct investor and co-developer of Songa Energy's Burundi hydropower portfolio. Operating model (developer / investor / operator of renewable power and rural distribution grids in East and Southern Africa) and project finance structure are essentially identical, and Virunga directly participates in the same Shango project SPVs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/songaenergy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Songa Energy