Circular Construction in Rwanda
Enabel has commissioned EnergyVille / VITO to support the Government of Rwanda in 2022-2023 to implement circular economy strategies in the Rwanda construction sector by developing policy guidelines for the implementation of circular economy approaches in the Rwanda construction sector, by implementing the guidelines in an incubation / coaching trajectory with local Made in Rwanda (MiR) building material producers and by exchanging knowledge with relevant stakeholders on circular economy approaches in the construction sector.
The Government of Rwanda is currently implementing the project “The Urban Economic development initiative (UEDi)” which is a five-year funded program (2019-2024) implemented by Enabel through NIRDA and other public agencies. In this framework, NIRDA and the Ministry of Environment (MoE) want to pilot the Circular Economy in the construction sector as one of the priorities. Enabel has commissioned EnergyVille / VITO to support the Government of Rwanda in 2022-2023 in the development of guidelines for implementation of circular economy approaches in the construction sector. Further tasks are to implement the guidelines in an incubation / coaching trajectory with local Made in Rwanda (MiR) building material producers, and to exchange knowledge on circular economy approaches in the construction sector.
Main activities
The project consists of the following main activities:
- A situational analysis research on circular economy in the Rwanda construction sector, including the relevant actors, construction materials and products, local drivers and the policy framework in Rwanda.
- The elaboration of circular economy guidelines in the Rwanda construction sector.
- Incubation/coaching trajectory of 10 private sector actors who produce Made in Rwanda (MiR) construction materials:
- Development of evaluation criteria for the selection of the producers.
- The implementation of the developed guidelines among the 10 selected producers in an incubation/coaching trajectory.
- Comparing the Business-as-Usual scenario versus several circular economy implementation scenarios through the means of commercial scans (business models), LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), LCC (Life Cycle Costing) and circularity scans.
- Capacity building for the Rwanda stakeholders.
Memorandum of Understanding
On 6 June 2023, EnergyVille / VITO signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation with the National Industrial Research and Development Agency NIRDA, and the Rwanda CPCIC – the Cleaner Production and Climate Innovation Center in Rwanda – with an aim to work even more intensively with the East African country.
The purpose of the collaboration between the parties is to establish a strategic relationship with the goal of increasing the level of sustainability and circularity in the built environment and construction sector in Rwanda through industrial research, technology mapping and development, interventions and replications.
If needed, other EnergyVille partners will also be able to contribute to this strategic relationship.
In the moving picture
Following the Memorandum of Understanding signed by EnergyVille / VITO with NIRDA Rwanda and Rwanda CPCIC, the Rwandan delegation visited several companies in Limburg in the context of innovative and circular construction. These included a visit to Vandensanden brick factory in Spouwen-Bilzen and to brick manufacturer Wienerberger in Londerzeel.