South Korean firm to roll out solar-powered water systems in Rwanda
Over 40% of Rwandans lack nearby safe drinking water
EcoLinks, a South Korean company, has received approval for a clean water initiative in Rwanda that combines Korean purification technology with solar power and smart taps. The project is financed with support from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
In its first phase, the project will deploy 150 systems in seven districts, providing over 210,000 people with drinking water. Access to clean water remains limited in Rwanda, with only 57% of the population having safe drinking water within 30 minutes of their home.
Central to the project is technology developed by INNOCEP Inc, a Korean company specialising in water treatment. The systems will operate on a “pay-as-you-fetch” model. Users load credit onto a prepaid card – topped up through mobile money – and tap the card to draw water. By replacing the widespread practice of boiling water over firewood, the project will generate carbon credits. Firewood use has long contributed to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and respiratory illness.
Smart taps will provide real-time data on water usage and system performance, allowing pricing adjustments, improved service delivery and more credible carbon credit reporting.*
EcoLinks was founded five years ago by Cameroonian entrepreneur Johnson Penn, who originally moved to South Korea as a student. In addition to the water project in Rwanda, the company is also involved in a programme to distribute more efficient cookstoves there, as well as renewable energy ventures in Cameroon and Ghana, and it is developing new projects in South Africa.
Rwanda has yet to finalise a carbon trading deal with South Korea, which has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. But earlier this year it signed an agreement with Singapore – becoming the latest African country to do so after Ghana in 2023. Under the deal, Singapore can buy credits from Rwandan projects to offset part of its greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement.
References
‘Rwanda inks carbon credit pact with Singapore, is sixth country to do so since 2023’, The Straits Times, 06 May 2025
'Linked post', EcoLinks, August 2025
'Linked post', EcoLinks, August 2025
'EcoLinks brings Korean innovation to Rwanda's water crisis', The Korea Times, 30 August 2025
'Water, sanitation and hygiene', UNICEF, Accessed on 10 September 2025
