Hydropower, Virunga, Democratic Republic of the Congo

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 region’s natural resources, animals, and, above all, wood used for charcoal trade. 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 died on account of the work they do.

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, and many lack basic infrastructure.

If there is no alternative energy source to charcoal, this forest will be completely deforested in less than a decade. This is why this climate project has emerged: a small run-of-river hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 13.6 MW. It generates enough electricity for 30,000 inhabitants, for many of which this being the first time they have had access to any electricity at all. In the meantime, another 5,000 households and many new small businesses have been connected to the local power grid. The project lays the foundation for economic development in the region, subsequently building stability and peace in the region. Because local demand is so great and the initial project has been so successful, a second run-of-river power plant has been set up in the region.