Many countries in Africa claim that China is a model for focusing on small-scale hydropower construction

“Small hydropower has great potential for development in Africa, and China is a model for Africa’s learning.” Nicholas Lorez, director of the Organizing Committee for the African Hydropower Conference, recently made the above statement to a reporter from the Science and Technology Daily.

Lorez said that China has built many small hydropower stations in many parts of the country, making important contributions to local electrification. In this regard, China can be regarded as an outstanding example for developing countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, although the demand for electricity continues to increase, the huge potential for hydroelectric power generation has not yet been well developed and utilized. The important reason is the lack of funds and the high cost of connection to the transmission grid. The focus of this conference is to discuss the investment prospects of hydropower projects in Africa and how to attract private investment. At the same time, it will also discuss in depth the construction, operation and maintenance of small hydropower plants.

According to Wim Kröney, a specialist in rural energy development at the South African Institute of Technology and Industry, small hydropower is particularly suitable for remote rural areas that the national grid cannot cover. In Tanzania, for example, small hydropower plants have provided people in remote areas with electricity for production, lighting and entertainment, which have greatly improved their lives. The “South Africa Small Hydroelectricity Database” developed by Kröner will be formally released during the conference. The database will include detailed information on all the small hydropower plants already built and currently under construction in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa.

According to Lorez, small hydropower plants can be installed on smaller rivers without affecting the environment, or with little impact, because most small or micro hydropower systems do not require the construction of dams or changes in water flow paths. The KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape regions in South Africa have excellent natural conditions for the development of small hydropower.

For example, the Buttlechem hydroelectric power station in the Free State Province not only provides electricity for the entire town of Buttermehm, but also sells part of the electricity through a long-term power purchase agreement; at the same time, it reduces its greenhouse gas emissions and validates its reduction of emissions. Volume can be sold out through the CDM. Both have brought considerable income. This is definitely the way to go for African countries.

The Africa Hydropower Conference will be held from September 19th to 23rd at the Thornton International Convention and Exhibition Center in Johannesburg, South Africa. The theme of the conference will be “Utilizing hydropower to crack the bottleneck of Africa’s power generation capacity”. The conference will focus on building small and micro hydropower stations to alleviate The power shortage situation in Africa seeks for sustainable hydropower development.