The photo is sourced from afrik21.africa
Operation of the mini HPP will allow the thermal power plants in Tibati, Mbakau, and the Ngaoundal settlement to be taken out of service and reduce emissions by 4,893 tons of CO2 per year. The project, implemented with the participation of the IED Invest Engineering Company and the Agency for Rural Electrification and the Ministry of Water and Energy will provide an uninterrupted power supply to the local fisheries. Commissioning of the mini HPP will also make easier power supply to the local schools and hospitals, which previously used autonomous generators.
The HPPs are the main source of electricity in Cameroon: according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), they account for 62% of total electricity generation, whereas the gas and diesel power plants – 26% and 11% respectively, and the solar panels and the bioenergy power plants – not more than 1% in total. The installed capacity of Cameroon’s HPPs increased by 83 megawatts (MW) between 2012 and 2021, while of the solar panels – by 11 MW, as to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates.
Small hydropower industry is one of the most innovative industries in clean energy production. The high demand for mini generators able to supply remote areas has prompted a succession of innovations. For example, the British Company VerdErg has developed a micro-generator outwardly resembling a Venturi tube used to measure the water flow rate. The generator’s three-part design consisting of an inlet body, a narrowed middle, and an expanding diffuser provides high pressure in the tube, and thus, the ability to generate electricity from a small water volume. The development was successfully tested in the county of Cambridgeshire, in the East of England, last year.
