Eng. Willy Ciza, born on June 16, 1979, in Gahongore, Bubanza, is an industrial engineer in electromechanics specialized in the energy sector. With more than sixteen years of experience in the design and construction of power plants and electricity transmission lines, as well as six years in project planning related to clean cooking, hydropower, and solar energy, he has established himself as a key player in the energy development of Burundi.
Since February 2019, he has held the position of Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, where he leads the development of national policies on energy efficiency, the promotion of renewable energy, and the implementation of structuring projects in rural areas. In this capacity, he coordinates technical teams, initiates projects to expand access to modern and sustainable energy, and oversees the rehabilitation of solar and biogas installations.
Eng. Ciza has contributed to several major projects, including the Mpanda Hydropower Project (10.4 MW, USD 73 million), where he served as a project engineer, as well as the Nyakiriza Sun Project (USD 100 million financed by the World Bank), where he took part in preparation and implementation as a member of the technical committee. He also monitors the Umuco W’iterambere Project, funded by the European Union, which deploys solar mini-grids and promotes solar-powered irrigation for agriculture. In parallel, he is involved in public-private partnership projects, notably with Virunga Power for rural electrification, as well as in the preparation of the National Energy Compact of Burundi, a sector-wide planning document to mobilize energy financing by 2030.
His expertise covers project management, design and planning of electrical networks, energy efficiency, solar mini-grids, clean cooking, and public procurement. He also has proficiency in various software tools for electrical network simulation and analysis such as Matlab/Simulink, Neplan, ETAP Power Station, PSS/E, and MESSAGE.