Loubassa’a tidal stream generator was commissioned a year ago, harnessing the energy of the Congo River for social and economic development

Published on October 15 2022

Mise en service de l’hydrolienne de Loubassa - Congo — LIMALAY / POTOMAI

The Essential Services Unit (ESU) for Loubassa village, located on M’bamou island in the Republic of the Congo, was brought on stream on 15 October 2021. The ESU's special technical feature is that its electrical power comes from a floating tidal stream generator, converting the Congo River’s energy into electricity. Supported by the Pot@maï association, the Congolese NGO Aide à l’enfance and L'Aquaphile, ESU offers an innovative off-grid electrification approach. The services offered through electrification were selected by the villagers, and a training programme supports the development of the new activities made possible by the arrival of electricity. This approach is supported by the FFEM as part of the Private Sector Innovation Facility (Facilité d’Innovation pour le Secteur Privé - FISP).

For the last year, this installation - managed by the Congolese association Aide à l'Enfance - has been providing ongoing access to drinking water and electricity, enabling residents to maintain cool chains, recharge lamps and phones, process agrifoods, and use equipment for craftwork.

Local needs, and the services now made possible by electricity from the ESU, were identified in consultation with the users: flour can be ground, eggs incubated and bread, dried fruit, juices, preserves etc. can be made. Some 20 people are in training - in poultry farming, sewing, agrifood processing - with 7 in full-time employment at the ESU. Training in hairdressing, market gardening and fish farming are planned as from October 2022.

Mme Marthe Diamesso, a Loubassa resident, is delighted: “I’m so happy we have drinking water and electricity for my village. We can now make our own preserves and ice cream because we’ve got freezers! There’s also machinery for crushing cassava and fufu”. Designed to last at least 20 years, this installation is already improving the living conditions of the 3,000 or so residents on M’bamou island.

For Jérôme Gastaud, head of the Energy and Climate project at the FFEM, this project supports the energy transition while also bringing significant social impacts. “An Ex Post assessment is underway, which may pave the way for upscaling, capitalising on the good practices and learnings from the project, to envisage future deployments in the Congo and even more widely in Central Africa”, he states.

This project is a fine example of success achieved through engaging with the population and offering a brighter future in order, ready for duplication across other regions.

More about the project