The Kiymbi Dam is a major hydroelectric dam and power station that was opened on the Kiymbi (or Kyimbi) river in 1959. It has been neglected and requires rehabilitation.
| Kiymbi | |
|---|---|
  Location of Kiymbi in Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Official name | Barrage de la Kyimbi |
| Country | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Location | South Kivu Province |
| Coordinates | 5°02′01″S 28°56′57″E / 5.033544°S 28.949178°E |
| Purpose | Hydroelectricity |
| Opening date | 1959 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Height | 14.5 m (48 ft) |
| Length | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 1,652.2 m (5,421 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 75,000 m3 (2,600,000 cu ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Hydraulic head | 677 m (2,221 ft) |
| Installed capacity | 41,250 kW (55,320 hp) (max. planned) |
Kyimbi River edit
The Kyimbi River originates in the Mugandja plateau at a height of 6,560 feet (2,000 m). It contains a series of falls over a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km), with the largest 300 to 500 feet (91 to 152 m) high. The total drop in this section is over 2,500 feet (760 m).[1] They are among the highest falls in the African continent to be used for power generation.[2] In the dry season the average flow is 3 to 10 cubic metres per second (110 to 350 cu ft/s), but this rises to 150 cubic metres per second (5,300 cu ft/s) in the rainy season.[3]
Planning edit
In 1948 it was reported that a company had been formed to build a hydroelectric plant on the Kyimbi river in the north of Katanga, to supply Albertville (now called Kalemie). Operations were expected to start in 1950.[4] The plant was to be built near Bendera.[5] This is about 110 kilometres (68 mi) from Albertville.[6] There were delays. A 1952 report said that construction was still planned.[7] A 1954 report described the planned structure as a dam 14.5 metres (48 ft) high that would provide water to five generating units, each with 8,250-kilowatt (11,060 hp) capacity, or 41,250 kilowatts (55,320 hp) in total.[6]
The plant was eventually built and operated by the Forces de L'Est du Congo (FEC), a company that began operations in 1955 to provide power to the eastern Congo.[8] It began delivering power from two of the five planned turbines in 1959.[9] Additional turbines were to be installed as needed to meet demand.[2] The architect Eugene Palumbo, assigned to the Congo by UNESCO, designed the service city of the dam construction project.[10]
Dam and power plant edit
The dam is above the main Kiymbi waterfalls and consists of a concrete arc 60 metres (200 ft) in length, with a crest altitude of 1,652.2 metres (5,421 ft). The dam's capacity is about 75,000 cubic metres (61 acre⋅ft). Water is carried away from the dam in a horizontal direction along a 1,428 metres (4,685 ft) covered channel, or gallery, to a point above the power station. The gallery is partially lined with concrete, with a width of 3.5 metres (11 ft) where it is lined and 4.5 metres (15 ft) where it is unlined. The gallery terminates in a de-sanding chamber 30 metres (98 ft) long and 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter which eliminates any sand particles larger than .03 millimetres (0.0012 in) in diameter. The sand is flushed down a gully to the river below.[2]
From a tank at the end of the de-sander, the water is fed to the power plant by a steep conduit 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) long with a diameter decreasing from 1.1 to .9 metres (3 ft 7 in to 2 ft 11 in). The drop is about 677 metres (2,221 ft). The water powers the turbines and is discharged into the river below the waterfalls.[2] The power station came online in 1959 with two 8,250 kilowatt generators, with potential for three more of the same capacity.[9] A 132 kW line carried the electricity to Albertville.[2]
Rehabilitation plans edit
The Democratic Republic of the Congo became independent in June 1960.[11] The state electricity company, Société nationale d'électricité (SNEL), prepared a study of rehabilitating the Kiymbi power station in 1992.[12] A 2007 report prepared for the World Bank evaluated rehabilitation of the power plant. The very rough estimate of cost from a "reconnaissance" study would be US$52.06 million for 43 MW installed capacity.[13] The report recommended making a priority of a more detailed study.[14]
References edit
Citations
- ^ Office du tourisme 1956, p. 389.
- ^ a b c d e Leenders 1960.
- ^ Barrage de la Kyimbi.
- ^ U.S. Dept. of Commerce 1948, p. 89.
- ^ American University 1971, p. 373.
- ^ a b U.S. Bureau of Foreign Commerce 1954, p. 24.
- ^ Electrical Times 1952, p. 369.
- ^ U.S. Joint Publications Research Service 1970, p. 239.
- ^ a b U.S. Joint Publications Research Service 1970, p. 241.
- ^ Fullerton 1964, p. 22.
- ^ Fullerton 1964, p. 4.
- ^ SNC-Lavalin International 2005, p. 3-2.
- ^ SNC-Lavalin International 2007, p. S-17.
- ^ SNC-Lavalin International 2007, p. 15-6.
Sources
- American University; Foreign Areas Studies Division (1971). Area handbook for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo Kinshasa). U.S. Govt. Print. Off. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- "Barrage de la Kyimbi". Albertville.be. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- Electrical Times (1952). "Work in the Congo". Electrical Times. Electrical Times, Limited. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- Fullerton, Garry (1964). "Unecso in the Congo" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- Leenders, A. (30 June 1960). "Notes succinctes sur l'aménagement hydro-électrique des chutes de la Kiymbi". L'Essor du Congo. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- Office du tourisme (1956). Traveller's Guide to the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi. Tourist Bureau for the Belgian Congo & Ruanda-Urundi, IIIrd Directorate, Information and Public Relations Bureau. p. 389. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- SNC-Lavalin International (March 2005). "Preliminary Evaluation of New Power Options in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- SNC-Lavalin International (February 2007). "Strategic/Sectoral, Social and Environmental Assessment of Power Development Options in The Nile Equatorial Lakes Region" (PDF). The World Bank. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- U.S. Bureau of Foreign Commerce (1954). World Trade Information Service. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 24. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce; Bureau of Foreign Commerce; Bureau of International Business Operations; Bureau of International Programs (January 1948). Foreign commerce weekly. U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
{{cite book}}:|author3=has generic name (help) - U.S. Joint Publications Research Service (1970). Translations on Sub-Saharan Africa. p. 241. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
