Hydropower, Virunga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Virunga National Park is home to some of the last mountain gorillas still alive in the world today. Six hundred rangers protect the area from thousands of armed militia, who exploit the natural resources, animals and, above all, wood for the charcoal trade for their own financial gain. This illegal exploitation is a million-dollar business and finances a cruel civil war. In the past 20 years, more than 160 park rangers have lost their lives on account of the work they do.
The illegal charcoal made from trees in the Virunga National Park is, for many, their only energy source: 97 percent of the population in this region have no electricity in their home. Even basic infrastructure is missing.
If there is no alternative energy source to charcoal, this forest will be completely deforested in ten years' time. This is why our Carbon offset project has emerged: a small run-of-river hydroelectric power plant with an output of currently 13.6 MW. It generates enough electricity for 30,000 inhabitants; for most of them, it is the first time they have had access to any electricity at all. In the meantime, 5,000 households and many new small businesses have been connected to the local power grid. The project thus creates the conditions for economic development. Gradually, alternatives that will allow the local population to make a living without illegal overexploitation will emerge.
