🌐 From Gold Mines to Communities: TES VSETIN’s Impact in Congo
We have supplied a generator to KV Hydro Turbines for the modernization of the Mungonbe Small Hydropower Plant near Kamituga, an area renowned for its vast gold mines in the heart of North Kivu, near the Rwandan border.
The original plant, built in 1937, was designed to power the gold mine operations. Our generator will play a crucial role in transforming this facility to provide much-needed electricity to the town of Kamituga and its surrounding villages, where a public electric distribution network is non-existent.
SEKO Kongo, with major Czech participation, is ensuring not only the production of electricity but also its distribution and management of the distribution system. The company first recommissioned one of these turbines by installing a new runner, cannibalizing parts from the other two turbines, and rewinding the original generator. In the next stage, a Banki turbine with a TES generator, was delivered.
Future phases will replace the remaining two Francis turbines with a single 1500 kVA Banki turbine, and an additional 500 kVA Banki turbine will be installed to further enhance capacity.
This project isn’t just about providing electricity; it’s about overcoming incredible challenges. Our customer, KV Hydro Turbines, has to deal with:
✅ Transporting technology through devastated jungle roads.
✅ Working in one of Congo’s most unstable regions, plagued by conflicts with Islamist terrorists.
✅ Facing piracy in Lake Kivu during part of the transport.
✅ Managing health risks, as two technicians have already fallen ill with malaria.
We appreciate the dedication and resilience of KV Hydro Turbines in bringing reliable electricity to these communities.
Stay tuned for updates and photos of progress in this project.
