Uganda Hydro Project 2014
Researching very low-cost hydro-electricity
technologies for rural Uganda.
Introduction:
The project team:
Our Hydro power schemes:
Bihondo Village Scheme
Bihondo is the longest running
scheme. When it was built the goal
wasn’t necessarily to create a perfect hydro power scheme but more
to build something functional to
start off community involvement.
This year however we decided to
develop the scheme to achieve
better performance. This was done
by installing a new buried flow pipe
delivering water to the turbine.v
The aim of the Uganda Hydro Project is to develop and research
very low cost hydro electricity schemes in rural areas of Uganda that do not have access to cabled electricity. International development is a controversial topic in its self this is why we put
strong emphasis on the social aspect of the project as well next to
the technical parts. Our long term aim is to find and encourage a
self sustaining business model for low cost hydro power schemes
which can be totally reliant on the knowledge and funds of locals.
The project was started in 2009 by a group of Warwick engineering students. Since then a team of student’s travels to Uganda over
the summer to develop and expand the hydro power schemes.
Mt Gessi Primary School
Scheme
This scheme is our smallest only
powering a few light bulbs and a
computer in the primary school.
We constructed a new reinforced concrete channel replacing the old rotten wooden one.
The channel is responsible for carrying the water from a stream
to a pipe where the turbine sits.
Mabwe Village Scheme
Mabwe is our biggest scheme
providing power for the village. This year we extended
the electric grid to another village 2 km away called Mitandi.
Mabwe channel and sedimentation tank:
Welding of the steel reinforcement:
Digging of the trench the pipe will sit in:
Start of construction:
The new PVC pipe:
The new PVC pipe:
The theory behind hydro power supply has long been established, this is why our project mainly aims to find how such schemes
can be run at low cost and also
allow locals to maintain and develop them. This involves working
with materials and technologies
commonly available in Uganda.
Bad quality bent wood: