Tuesday, August 20, 2013

DR Congo: Hydro Electricity for Mutwanga

Robert Williams blogs at Virunga National Park's Gorilla Blog 

Virunga’s First Hydroelectric Plant Online!




Virunga National Park has brought the rural community of Mutwanga its first electrical grid. If you have been reading this blog over the last two years, you’ve witnessed the massive amount of work that has gone into this project. Well, construction is now complete, water is flowing down the race channel and spinning the turbines, and electricity is being generated. This is a huge breakthrough for the park in terms of promoting socio-economic development, and ultimately peace and security. The revenue that will be generated by the Mutwanga hydroelectric plant is also a big first step on the path toward helping the park fund operations even when tourism is closed by conflict. “Hats off” to the team and the European Union for their generous financial assistance. Thanks also go out to the Howard G. Buffet Foundation and the 11th Hour Project for their support of Virunga’s other vital development projects.


Main channel where a portion of the river’s water is diverted to the power plant


          End of the channel where water makes to drop into the turbines



                                 Inside the hydroelectric plant


                   The beginning of the power grid leading to Mutsora


                                New street light in Mutwanga


               Skull and crossbones - a universally understood message…


This image and those that follow are a reminder of all the work along the way











I have said it before the guys at Virunga are the real heros of the Eastern DR Congo 


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