The DRC and Rwanda signed Friday 10 March in Gisenyi a project to conduct joint research on the safe operation of methane gas from Lake Kivu.

 The project is financed by the Dutch government to the tune of € 8 million for a two-year implementation period.

 "While gas is being exploited, studies are continuing. The condition of the lake continues to be monitored. We do the monitoring and we see if there is no change of the parameters. It's a two-year project. The studies will be done during the two years. The money is managed by Rwanda, "explained Professor Katcho Karume, Director General of the Goma Volcano Observatory.

 He acknowledged that the DRC is lagging behind Rwanda on the exploitation of Lake Kivu gas.

 According to him, "the Congolese government must launch a call for tender to see if there are companies that will come to mount the platforms for the exploitation of methane gas".

 Rwanda is already producing electricity by transforming methane gas, pumped from a platform that the country has installed on Lake Kivu, 13 km from its shore.