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Zambezi Rapids Hydro-Electric Scheme: History and Overview
Executive Summary
The North West Zambia Development Trust is establishing a hydro-electric
scheme in the Ikelenge area of north western Zambia. The project will
provide cheap, clean and sustainable power to the local area. It will
remove dependence on diesel generators and on fuel transported from the
Republic of South Africa. It will support Kalene Hospital, the local schools,
clinics and orphanage. In addition, there will be opportunities for Small
and Medium Enterprise (SME) development. Income from power would decrease
dependency on expatriate income for the operation of Kalene Hospital and
the other institutions at Kalene and the local area. The project
will create the basis of a self-sustaining, developing local economy.
Employment developing directly from this project, and indirectly due to development and expansion of SMEs, will decrease poverty and dependency on charitable giving. This will increase the dignity of the local population and raise aspirations to become more self reliant.
Mini Hydro Scheme Rationale
Power provision is usually considered the remit of national power
companies and government. Connection to the national grid in Zambia is
not an option as it ends 380km from the Ikelenge area and ZESCO (the national
power company) has no plans to extend the power line to the area. However,
the North Western Province of Zambia has several large perennial rivers.
Hydro-electric power is relatively cheap to produce, is ecologically friendly
and is sustainable. Consequently, a hydro-electric scheme is the
only sustainable, economic way to provide power. While the prime driver
for the project was to provide power to Kalene Mission Hospital, the overall
purpose of the project is the provision of power to the whole community.
Benefits of the Scheme
The hydro-electric scheme will produce a wide range of benefits
that are immediate and long term.
Immediate benefits
- Removal of diesel generated power with its attendant high costs, unreliability and associated air and noise pollution.
- 24 hour power to the following establishments that currently use diesel generators:-
- Kalene Mission Hospital
- Ikelenge Mission
- Flight Service
- Sakeji School
- Hillwood Farm
- Power delivery to over 1000 rural poor who have never had electricity:-
- Nyakaseya Village and School
- Kalene Schools
- Ikelenge Schools
- Chinyazhi School
- Ikelenge town
- All the villages and small businesses along the power line route
- Employment for local Zambians (both in construction and maintenance of the scheme).
- Marked increase in attractiveness of local professional jobs (especially in attracting qualified Zambian staff to Kalene Hospital and local schools)
- Improved living and working conditions for hospital staff and teachers, a direct result of 24 hour lighting and power for use of appliances.
- Introduction of better medical and support equipment because of continuous electricity supply. This will improve health care for the patients and enable treatment for conditions previously not treatable due to equipment and power restrictions.
- Power for computers and related equipment to enable updating of the hospital's infrastructure and for six schools
Long-term benefits
- Development of SMEs and increased employment in a region where unemployment is approximately 80%. For example, pineapple canning has been attempted in the area but the lack of power for the equipment rendered the project unsustainable. This project will supply cheap, sustainable power, enabling a viable pineapple canning enterprise to be reintroduced.
- Decreased economic dependence on expatriate income.
- Kalene Mission Hospital development.
- Power availability for drinking water and sanitation systems and, as a consequence:
- Improved health of the local population.
- Improved education opportunities for the local population due to better equipment and lighting for evening work
Conclusion
This project aims to replace the current use of generators burning diesel to produce electricity; in so doing the project ensures the long term economic viability of Kalene Hospital to continue its work by reducing costs and dependence on expatriate funding. In addition, power will be supplied to the local school, clinics and Flight Service so improving the scope of their work in education, primary health care and mercy flight operations. Local businesses will have access to electricity, which they have never had before, so increasing the economic opportunities and employment prospects of the community. The combination of immediate and long-term benefits allows the whole area to grow and develop in an exponential manner.
As the Trust is registered in Zambia, the trustees are working in conjunction with two UK registered charities, namely Echoes of Service and Medical Missionary News, through whom donations can be channelled. In addition, there are two agencies of the mission in North America through whom donations can be made with tax exemption receipts. See NWZDT info for more details. |
The need
This corner of Zambia has a classic poverty cycle. With almost no employment, education, or prospects, the local people struggle from day to day against malaria, HIV/AIDS, and malnutrition. They exist by slash-and-burn subsistence farming and, as the population has grown in the last 100 years, so the environment has degraded.
There is an established local hospital and secondary school, but lack
of electricity, or reliance on intermittent and expensive diesel generators,
has limited their services. With the national grid 380km away, another
solution was required. In colonial times, 42 years ago, a hydroelectric
site on the Zambezi River, only 6km away, was surveyed, but until now
had not been developed.
Kalene Mission Hospital
www.kalenehospital.com
In 2006 Kalene Mission Hospital commemorated 100 years of providing health care to the local Zambian population. The Hospital provides outpatient and inpatient services in general and tropical medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology with the specialities of ophthalmic, ENT and orthopaedic surgery provided by visiting doctors. The hospital performs around 1000 surgical procedures per year; in addition, the maternity unit delivers between 900 and 1000 babies per annum.
Kalene Mission Hospital, historically, has had to supply its own
power needs using diesel generators. The diesel for these
has to be transported by truck and is sourced in South Africa -
a journey of 2500km. Zambia has a petroleum refinery, but at times
supplies are intermittant. In addition to diesel, bottled gas (used
for cooking) is obtained from the same source and is attended by
the same problems.
It is estimated that Kalene Mission Hospital spends in excess of US$ 60,000 per annum (and rising) on power provision for its necessary infrastructure. |
Cost of the Scheme
The cost of the hydroelectric scheme is divided into a first phase which will provide power to Kalene is approximately US$ 2,400,000. This would deliver power to all the areas and institutions outlined in the Executive Summary.
Kalene comprises the Mission Hospital, Kawota Clinic, a nurses training school, a Flight Service and Kalene School. The Trust desires not only to achieve this but also to extend the power line to other nearby institutions to assist them in the same way, during a second phase of development. This would also present opportunities to develop SMEs. |
