A small rural community in Eastern Zimbabwe is benefiting from a mini hydro-electric scheme supported and subsidised by Schneider Electric South Africa and its specialist electricity prepayment subsidiary, Conlog.
Managed by Practical Action (PA), a UK-based NGO, the scheme is generating 24 kVA from the hydrodriven turbine on the Wengezi river and providing power supplies to Chipendeke. When the distribution of the hydro generated electricity is completed, the total number of power connections envisaged will be 100.
Conlog donated 100 prepayment meters and also provided the computer and electricity vending management system and software.
The joyful reaction when the lights came on was a priceless reward for the installation team. PA estimates that 200 households, representing about 1200 people are set to directly benefit from household installations and 1800 will indirectly benefit from the services offered by retail, maize grinding, schooling and other activities.
The turbine providing the power is a Pelton matched to a synchronous AC 3-phase screen protected generator with a drip-proof alternator and a rated output of 24 kVA/32 kW and an electronic load controller. The transmission line is a 4-wire, 3-phase 240/400 V, 287 m long.
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