Remote area power supply: Nyafaru micro hydro power plant

Many parts of Southern Africa are without decentralised commercial electrical power, and this case study illustrates how simple technology applied to run-of-river hydroelectric power can be harnessed to provide a viable form of energy to off-grid communities. The paper describes a stand-alone micro-hydroelectric power scheme in a typical Zimbabwean rural community. The Nyafaru Power Project was developed primarily as a pilot project, and it is expected to be used as a model for building similar remote area power supplies to reduce the problem of rural electrification.