GCSE Geography | Chambamontera Micro-hydro Scheme (Resource Management - Energy 8)

Chambamontera is an isolated village on the eastern slopes of the Andes in North Peru (pictured below) - the population is scattered with most people engaged in subsistence farming, such as growing coffee. The mountainous terrain makes it difficult to provide the population with electricity for heat, light and other power uses. The roads through the steep slopes are impassable during winter, making the area inaccessible, hence the low population density - and it is not economically feasible to build an electricity grid here. 25% of the population of Peru do not have access to grid electricity, and in jungle areas like the eastern slopes of the Andes this figures rises to 68% - about 5 million in total. No access to electricity makes it hard for people to escape poverty.

However, this mountainous areas has many rivers and streams and a high level of rainfall, so the potential for hydroelectric power is huge.

Micro-hydro power

Practical Action has helped to install 47 micro-hydro schemes across Peru, providing electricity to about 5,000 families. The Chambamontera micro-hydro scheme is an example of this - it cost US$51,000 to set up and run, which was funded partly by the government, partly from a Japanese investment, and partly by the local community. Local households each contributed US$750 to the project, using credit scheme to pay for this.

Practical Action helped local people to dig a canal and build a forebay (small storage dam - see image below), which diverts the water into a penstock (high-pressure pipe), through which the water flows down a steep gradient. Water leaving the penstock rotates the blades of the hydro turbine, which then drives a generator providing electricity to local communities. Most of the turbines are manufactured by small companies in Peru to Practical Action designs, with each company making three or four turbines per year, creating around 250 person-days of work.

These sustainable small-scale schemes are providing clean renewable energy to rural communities across this region of Peru. They are very simple 'run-of-the-river' schemes that divert water from streams or rivers rather than using dams and reservoirs. This has two main benefits - the lack of dams and reservoirs means that these systems are a cheap way to generate power, and they don't cause widespread social and environmental impacts like large hydroelectric (HEP) schemes do. There is also less need for local communities to burn wood as a source of heat so the risk of deforestation and soil erosion is reduced.

Benefits

Economic

The micro-hydro scheme has given people the opportunity to start up local businesses, for example, using the energy to drive small machines for coffee de-husking and processing, setting up bars and restaurants, making furniture, and set up businesses linked to farming, including an ice cream factory. These have all creates job opportunities too.

Health and education

The energy provided means that health centres can operate vaccine refrigerators, maintain records on computer, and use radio links for communication, as well as offering a generally improved service through use of electric lights. The electricity can also be used for sterilisers and electric boilers. In addition, it has also meant that dental services have been introduced to the area.

There are also benefits to education - schools can use computers, photocopiers, and AV technology in lessons, and children are now able to study at home in the evenings with electric lights. The energy can also be used to set up community enterprises such as internet cafes, which children and their families can make use of, for studying, accessing medical advice, and to access information useful to farming, such as weather forecasts.

No need for kerosene lamps!

Electric lighting has replaced kerosene lamps in homes, improving indoor air quality and reducing the risk of fires from spilt fuel or lamps, and also reducing the breathing problems and eye irritation associated with kerosene. Electricity also means that families can also have fridges and food processors, as well as radio, TV and DVD players for home entertainment.

Sustainable energy generation

The Chambamontera micro-hydro scheme is an example of a sustainable strategy to increase energy supply. Sustainable solutions have the following features in common...

Small scale - sustainable solutions to increasing energy supply are usually small-scale - they improve the quality of life for individual communities, rather than whole regions or countries. They are easy to manage and relatively cheap.

Appropriate technology - these are small projects using basic machinery that are cheap and easy to maintain. This is better than using complex machinery that require specialist skills to operate and maintain.

Community management - sustainable energy projects need to be managed by the local community, rather than relying on other people - for example, local people build and maintain them, so it they breakdown they know how to carry out repairs.

Local decision making - local people decide what they need to improve their energy supply, where they will build their project, how big it is, etc - this is an important part of sustainable solutions - it’s not just telling the people involved what they need - therefore there is more by-in and projects are likely to be more effective.

Non-governmental organisation - NGOs have no government funding and rely on donations, e.g. Practical Action, who work across LICs and NEEs to improve access to safe and reliable energy supplies. NGOs are important here as they give local communities the support and skills they need to get their sustainable projects up and running.