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Community Pico Hydro in Sub-Saharan Africa
[top] [end]1.0 project summary[top] [end]1.1 locationThe project has two primary site locations. These are Kathamba and Thima/Phillips Falls. Both project sites are located in Kirinyaga District, Central division. The nearest town to the sites is Kerugoya Town, which lies 130 km north of Nairobi on the southern slopes of Mount Kenya.The Thima/Phillip's Falls site is accessed via the Kerugoya - Kagumo - Waigiri Road, are on the Rutui River, about 5 km North West of Kerugoya Town between Kariko and Thaita. Travelling from the town to the site takes about 15 minutes by car. The powerhouse is reached after a further 10-minute walk down into the steep valley along which the Rutui River flows. The Rutui River is formed at the confluence between the Kangaita River and its confluence with a smaller tributary. The Phillip's Falls are approximately 500m downstream of this confluence. There are approximately 160 houses within the vicinity, the furthest of which is 900m from the turbine. The area has tarmac roads used to transport farm produce to the market. Schools and churches have also been constructed in the area. The Kathamba site accessed via the Kerugoya - Kiang'othe - Kiang'ombe Road (7 kilometers) or the Kerugoya - Gakoigo -Itharini - Kiangweny Road (9 kilometres), is located in Kiangai-Kathimo area, Gichigi Sub-location, Guichugu Division, Kirinyaga District on Mukengeria River. Travelling time from Kerugoya town is approximately 20 minutes along unpaved roads. The river, which provides the hydropower for the pico hydro system, flows into the Mukengeria River, 300 metres from its source. There are 65 houses within 550m of the junction between the stream and the river and two sites for new houses. The area has a network of earth roads, which are used to transport farm produce. Due to the steep slopes, road construction is difficult and many of the roads are constructed along the contour lines. The residents at both the sites grow tea, coffee, maize and fruits. [top] [end]1.2 Key statistics
[top] [end]1.3 Contact detailsIntermediate Technology Development Group Eastern Africa (ITDG-EA)P.O. Box 39493 - 00623, Nairobi, Kenya AAYMCA Building, Along State House Crescent, Off State House Avenue Tel: +254 2 (0) 2713540 / 2719313 / 2719413 Fax: +254 2 (0) 2710083 [top] [end]1.4 Replication potentialThe project is highly replicable in the East African region due to large number of small rivers, with potential for electricity generation using Pico hydro technology. Several communities have already organised themselves and raised sufficient funds to undertake similar projects. However, communities are restricted by the government policy on electricity distribution, which prohibits private organisations and communities from distributing electricity. Contrary to this comment, please note that the reforms referred to here targeted the national utility whereby generation and transmission/distribution functions were disaggregated.The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) was given the function of transmission and distribution while KENGEN was created to undertake public generation. The Act also created a number of Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Note that, distribution remained a function of KPLC vide the Electric Power Act, 1997, which is still the position, despite a new Act which came into force in Nov 2004. Private distribution is still not allowed and the country is working on modalities for disaggregating transmission from distribution functions and establishing institutional arrangements to meet that functionality. The proposed new energy policy recognises the need to liberalise the energy sector to allow independent distribution especially in areas where there is no grid coverage. To date we have received over 80 applications from community-based organisations requesting for similar projects. Kenya also has a lot of sites with potential for the development of pico-hydro power generation hence replication potential is high in Kenya itself. [top] [end]FundingThe following organisations provided support for the program;
[top] [end]3.0 backgroundThe project was a collaborative activity between the Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and ITDG-EA Energy Programme. The project aimed at demonstrating that Pico hydro technology is a sustainable and affordable technology for community electrification. It was aimed at contributing to the establishment of pico hydro infrastructure in Kenya in particular and in sub-Saharan Africa in general.The objectives of the project were twofold:
[top] [end]4.0 project description[top] [end]4.1 project activitiesThe projects time schedule and planned activities are indicated in the Table 1 below.Table 1: Project Time Schedule (calendar)  The following activities were undertaken in the project:
A detailed description of the project sites development is given below. [top] [end]Developing the Thima SiteCommunity organisation and participation: Once the appropriate site had been identified at Thima, the local community was organised and motivated right from the outset. They had previously formed an association and collected money so that a transformer could be purchased because grid lines run nearby to a tea factory. Unfortunately the group did not manage to raise sufficient funds for the transformer and so they were unable to get connected to the grid. However, this group provided a good basis for the local committee formed to manage the project once the local hydro potential was recognised.Intake construction: The design flow was 28 litres per second. Natural features and semi-permanent structures have been used in the construction of the intake to keep costs of civil works down. For example, in the case of Thima scheme, the weir is made from rocks and soil filled gunny bags to divert the water through a an earth canal as opposed to masonry or a concrete weir and a lined canal. Natural features at the site were used because they keep the high costs of civil works down. The intake was formed from low-pressure PVC pipe-fittings and 5mm galvanised wire mesh rolled into a sealed tube. This acted as a filter to prevent debris from entering the penstock and fouling the turbine. A wooden fence was also constructed at the entrance of the channel to prevent large sticks and debris from entering the intake channel. Penstock: The penstock is a pipe that conveys water from the storage pond to the turbine. PVC pipes were used for the penstock. The community actively participated in creating a platform for the penstock and the laying of the PVC pipes for the same. Turbine house: This housed the turbine, generator and outlet for water to run back into the river. The location of the house was chosen to maximise the available head while minimising penstock length. Like all the other construction activities, the community members actively participated in the construction of the turbine house through the provision of labour. Pump-as-turbine: A standard centrifugal pump was used as the turbine. This was a 'mono bloc' type supplied with a directly coupled induction motor. It was important for the turbine to be matched with the site. A performance prediction equation was used to select the appropriate turbine. Generator: The pump was fitted with a 3.7kW induction motor, which produces 2.2kW of electric power when driven by the turbine. Two 1.8kW-cooking rings were used as ballast for safety purposes. Distribution system: The establishment of a distribution system for the electricity generated to the 180 houses was conducted under phase 2 of the project. Using a Global Positioning System (GPS) and a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program, the routes for the distribution cables was worked out and drawn in to ensure that all the consumers were connected. A spreadsheet program was used to determine the minimum cable diameters, which could be used while ensuring that all consumers would receive a connection with an acceptable voltage, regardless of the distance from the powerhouse thus keeping costs down. The community members participated in this by contributing to the purchase of distribution poles and cables. [top] [end]Developing kathamba siteCommunity organisation and participation: Once it was established that there was sufficient hydro potential at the site, a community meeting was held, a Community Electricity Association was formed and a committee elected to run the scheme. A written agreement was then signed between the community and the implementing partners. The community would provide labour and some of the building materials. The community was also required to pay a connection fee.Intake and storage ponds: The design flow for this scheme was 8 litres per second, 20 litres per second less than the Thima site. Because of the low water flow rate, a small concrete weir was designed to provide sufficient depth of water to ensure that the penstock is fully submerged at all times. Penstock: A 158-metre penstock was used. A PVC pipe with a diameter of 110mm was used. The net head was 28m. The community members dug a trench, under the supervision from the project management team, from the intake to the turbine house so that the pipe could be buried to anchor it in place and to protect it from damage by the sun. Turbine house: The location of the turbine house was chosen to give the maximum available head whilst still being high enough from the river at the bottom of the valley to avoid flooding during the rains. The farmer who owned the land where the powerhouse was constructed was given a free light as compensation by the local community in return for the land until 2004, when he was finally compensated for the land (the community contributed USD 641 to compensate for the land on which the powerhouse stands), and now pays rates like everyone else. Turbine: A Pelton turbine was used to convert the hydro power into rotating mechanical power. This was connected directly to an induction generator and housed inside a metal casing. Turbine components were fabricated by Kenyan Electrical Distributors who received training during a 2-week course for African manufactures of Pico hydro components held in Nairobi in February 2001. This course was organised and convened under the same project to aid in building capacity for the development of pico hydro technology in the region. The load controller was fabricated by Rodson Electronics; a local firm. Generator: A 1.5kW 3-phase induction motor with 240V delta connection was used as the generator. [top] [end]Training and Technology TransferA training course on Pico Hydro was held on the 29th of January through to the 9th of February and participants were drawn from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya. The course covered two main practical tasks, which were:
To ensure that the local technicians develop adequate knowledge and skills in the maintenance and operation of the pico hydro schemes, local electricians were involved from the beginning of the turbine and generator installation. They were given on-the-job training to ensure that they could identify faults and replace damaged equipment. Comprehensive documentation including complete circuit diagrams and maintenance schedules were provided to back up the training. [top] [end]4.2 Cost of serviceTable 2 below gives an indication of the costs for the provision of the schemes' infrastructure including, civil works for construction of the intake and turbine house, construction of the penstock, turbine, generator, controller and installation of the protection system and the distribution system. The costs were calculated per 10W light package which comprised of one energy saving light bulb and one socket for powering a small radio.Table 2: Overall Capital Cost for the two schemes 2000/2001 US ($)
Kathamba scheme:
Thima scheme:
Cost of service per household: For the connection of the households to the newly established grid, each household had to pay for a power connection (light package). One light package comprised of one 10W energy saving light bulb and one socket for powering a small radio. A household had the option of connecting to one single package or to two or three light packages at additional costs. The costs calculated per package are given below. The costs were based on total cost of the scheme divided by the number of households connected to the scheme and the electricity tariffs varied for each of the scheme. The Kathamba electricity consumers pay a monthly rate of Kshs 50 (US$ 0.65) for one package while those having two packages pay Kshs 80 (US$ 1.05). In Thima the members agreed to pay Ksh 100 (US$ 1.32) for one package and 150 (US$ 1.97) for two packages. These charges seem to be high for the community but there was an agreement among members in Thima to pay slightly higher fees to help in the completion of the scheme and to pay for services of an electrician and a watchman. Committee members agreed to lower the rates when the scheme is finally completed. Although the project was finally handed over to the community in September 2002, members agreed to continue paying the same rates to raise sufficient resources to upgrade the scheme. [top] [end]4.3 maintenanceThe project has trained technicians responsible for the maintenance of the scheme. These technicians are members of the community who were already qualified technicians and required limited training to carry out day-to-day operation and maintenance of the scheme. The project still relies on ITDG-EA and the Ministry of Energy for technical support for more complex maintenance activities.The monthly tariffs are used to replace worn components, for operational expenses of the scheme and for the payment of the technicians responsible for day-to-day maintenance. Kathamba has one trained technician while Thima has two trained technicians because it is a larger scheme, having at least twice the number of households as those in Kathamba. A clear job description was prepared for the technicians and given to the committee who are responsible for the overall management of the schemes. [top] [end]4.4 Delivery structureThe communities own the projects and have appointed committees to manage the schemes and the funds collected. Monthly fees are paid to the management committee, which has community-appointed chairman, secretary, and treasurer.During the construction of the distribution network, each member of the community contributed a pole measuring 25ft and a diameter of 6 inches. The poles at the two sites were obtained locally. [top] [end]4.5 Other service infrastructure and needsA local church has been electrified at Thima this has enabled the community to set up a night school.Charging of mobile phones has also enabled the local community to meet some of their communication needs. Initially to charge a mobile phone one had to travel to Kerugoya Town, more than five kilometres away. [top] [end]4.6 Implementation progressTo date, the construction of a powerhouse, installation of penstocks, turbines, generators and ballasts have been completed, transmission and distribution lines have been laid and electricity has been distributed to the households. In addition, the communities have taken over management of the two schemes.A training workshop has been held where local manufacturers were introduced to Pico and Micro Hydro technologies. A project experience dissemination workshop has also been held. [top] [end]5.0 project management[top] [end]5.1 Implementation organisationsThe following organisations were involved in the implementation of the project:
[top] [end]5.2 Local project personnelMaintenance technician and office administrators are currently employed by the two schemes. Locally elected committees undertake the management of the two schemes.[top] [end]5.3 Project management teamNigel Smith - Nottingham Trent University, UKPhillip Maher - Micro Hydro Research Group, Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nottingham Trent University, UK England Stephen Gitonga- ITDG-EA Smail Khennas- ITDG-UK [top] [end]6.0 lessons learnt[top] [end]6.1 socialEnd-user acceptability of project process: The local communities have embraced the project. Several other neighbouring communities have visited the project sites and have requested for similar projects to be established in their communities.Some households within the project areas were not connected to the distribution network. These households have requested to be connected to the system but this has not been possible due to the generating capacity of the scheme. There was an incident of illegal connections to the network by one of the community members who had been left out of the scheme. Numerous requests have been made, by neighbouring communities, to ITDG-EA for similar systems to be installed in their villages. Since Thima and Kathamba were both trial projects not everything went smoothly and some information was not provided to the community at the start - in part because it was not yet known - which would have changed the views of the community on the benefits and disadvantages of the pico-hydro project. People were not aware of the benefits that electricity could bring, nor the limitations that of the packages. To solve this, one could provide a car-battery and two lamps (and adapter for radio), which could rotate through the community so that people could experience the benefits. Some households also were left out because they did not understand the benefits that electricity could bring. Now many households want to join the schemes but there is not enough power. People were not consciously aware of the financial savings that the pico-hydro project would bring due to savings being made from reduced purchases of kerosene, battery charging as well as the benefits of light for security. Project benefits analysis by the community members could increase the amount of money people are willing to pay, which could make such projects viable without (or with reduced) donor support. In the beginning it was promised that power would be enough to watch colour TV and for pumping of water but this was not the case. As a result of the promise, some community members had bought a colour TV, which they cannot use. It is therefore important that projects promise what they can deliver and deliver what the promised. This would instill a sense of trust in beneficiaries which can improve success of future projects. It was expected that the electricity poles would last longer. They however have to be replaced every year, which is seen as one of the main technical problems. End-user perception of service: Generally households are happy with the scheme. However there have been numerous requests from the community members to expend the system so that they can have more electricity and more households can be connected to the localised grid. People (both men and women) now feel the power provided by one or two packages is too limited and that they are willing to spend more money. Many more households want to join. Both communities are actively looking to expand the scheme and repeatedly asked for help from ITDG-EA. Community relationships: The provision of electricity can create stronger relationships among community members. This was observed through the members who owned televisions and radio cassettes. They received more visitors especially neighbours and friends who came to be entertained. In addition, family members stayed awake longer at night, which provided an important forum for discussion family issues. Men stay at home more watching the TV and listening to the radio, which improves family life. Monthly tariffs: There needs to be set criteria for the committees with regards to setting and collection of tariffs and to the action to be taken in the event of non-payment. Education: There has been a tremendous improvement in the way children study at night. 90% and 55% of households in Thima and Kathamba respectively reported that their children extend their studies hours into the night by between two and three hours. According to Mr. Alphan Mwai, a teacher in Kathamba, children now rush home to study due to better quality of lighting. In addition, parents can accompany now children to study. [top] [end]6.2 economicAffordability: The majority of households can afford the monthly fees charged for the electricity.Energy expenditure: The installation of Pico Hydro schemes has led to the substitution of kerosene for lighting with electricity, which has translated, into monetary savings for the local households. A post installation survey of the two schemes indicated that there was an average 25% reduction in energy expenditure per household in Kathamba while in Thima, there was a reduction of 22% household energy expenditure. In Thima, residents reduced their Kerosene consumption by 69% from an average of 8 litres per month before connection to 2.5 litres after connection. The expenditure on dry cells was reduced from an average monthly expenditure of US$2.8 to US$ 0.9. The use of rechargeable batteries was reduced by 50%. Women spend more time working and work in the evenings. Women further reported better and faster food preparation. Varying meals can be prepared due to extended hours of lighting. Children can also prepare faster for school in the morning when there is light and households have some leisure time, listening to the radio, due to decreased dry cells and battery charging expenses. Commercial activities: Income generating activities such as mobile phone charging and chicken farming have been established by the project beneficiaries. Women are now motivated to form groups to start income generating activities. Creation of employment: Direct employment has been created for the technicians who maintain the project schemes and the scheme management committees. Although minimal, additional indirect employment has been created in the income generating activities established as a result of the project. [top] [end]6.3 technicalTechnical skills in the fabrication of some pico hydro components have been transferred to the country from Nepal and the UK. Local skills in scheme maintenance and operation have also been developed as a result of the project.The project has identified the need to develop standards for community-managed electricity distribution schemes. [top] [end]6.4 ecological / environmentalEnvironmental benefits of the project have included reduced indoor air pollution and there is little impact on the local environment as a result of damming the stream.[top] [end]6.5 Implementation lessonsValuable implementation lessons include:
In addition to the lessons above, the project brought to attention the limitations of the current Electric Power Act 1997. The current Electric Power Act, 1997 suppresses market forces on distribution of electricity as a commodity for sale, extension of electric services and the implied freedom of choice in deciding which energy type, mix or quality people can and should have. The Electric Power Act, 1997 allows people or groups of people to generate and use up to 1,000 kW without any hindrance from the Act. However, in the same sections and subsections there are limitations that curtail distribution of the power to a singular distributor. The consequent result is that the Act creates a monopoly for the public supplier that is not obligated to meet demand or be efficient. The action constrains efficiency and cost effectiveness in the supply of electricity, which can only be possible in a free market economy. The project identified the above constraint in the current Electric Power Act 1997 and is contributing significantly to the reformulation of Kenya's energy policy on community managed decentralised energy systems. Consequently, ITDG-EA as the implementing organisation is now represented on the committee responsible for formulating the new country's energy policy. [top] [end]7.0 REFERENCES and DOCUMENTATIONMaher P. 2002. Community Pico Hydro in Sub Saharan Africa: Case Study 1 (Site: Kathamba, Kirinyaga District, Kenya) Micro Hydro Centre, The Nottingham Trent University.Maher P. 2002. Community Pico Hydro in Sub Saharan Africa: Case Study 2 (Site: Thima, Kirinyaga District, Kenya) Micro Hydro Centre, The Nottingham Trent University. Gitonga S. and Balla P. 2002. Poverty Impacts of Pico Hydro Power Schemes in Kenya Intermediate Technology Development Group-East Africa. Nottingham Trent University and Intermediate Technology Development Group-East Africa. Memorandum of Understanding between Micro Hydro Centre, Nottingham Trent University and Intermediate Technology Development Group-East Africa. September 2000. Gitonga S. and Balla P. 2001. Socio-economic Survey: Baseline Information for Kathamba and Philip's Fall Community Pico Hydro Power Sites, Kirinyaga District, Kenya Intermediate Technology Development Group-East Africa. Balla P. 2003. Development of Community Electrification in Kenya. A Case of Small Scale Hydropower for rural energy Masters Thesis presented at Lund University, 2003, Sweden. 12 Community Pico Hydro in Sub-Saharan Africa Prepared by ITDG-EA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Page created:
05 May 2005; Last edited:
05 May 2005; Version: 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pagename: CommunityPicoHydroKenya @HEDON: UECA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
