A project led by HOGL
Hydro Operations Great Lakes (HOGL) is a Rwandan company incorporated in 2016 in Kigali. The company has a recognized expertise in hydro power plants and is developing expertise in mini-grid management. With more than 30 employees, the company has an established core business in Operation and Maintenance(O&M) of hydro power plants and is expanding into the development of digital tools to support energy access projects in the region and beyond.
« Many hydroelectric plants are unable to effectively monitor their operation and maintenance due to the lack of automated data collection methods," explains Annabel Johnstone, project manager for Hydro Operation Great Lakes (HOGL). Therefore, many equipment underperformances go undetected.
Context
In Rwanda, nearly 60% of electricity production comes from hydroelectric power plants. Systems that improve the efficiency of these installations have a significant impact on energy availability and contribute to the national goal of achieving 100% access to electricity by 2030.
Objectives
Improve production and maintenance by monitoring operations and performance of installations with the HPPBot developed by HOGL.
Activity
The on-site and remote interface of the HPPBot displays identified energy losses in the plant and suggests corrective actions. The Rwaza hydroelectric plant on the Mukungwa River is testing this device, which can be implemented in any hydroelectric power plant in Africa.
Impacts
- The tool will increase electricity production per plant with an average improvement of 3%. If HPPBot is installed in all existing hydroelectric plants in Rwanda, this would represent an improvement in production for the country, providing enough electricity for 55,000 households while avoiding the consumption of nearly 2 million liters of fuel, which would have emitted approximately 5,000 tons of CO2.
- HPPBot can be deployed throughout Africa, and the impact can be considerable not only in terms of expanded access to electricity but also in reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
