UTILISATION & MANAGEMENT OF ENERGY SOURCES

There are three mainly used sources of energy in Africa :

i) Water for hydro- electric energy
ii) Coal for thermal power
iii) Sun for solar energy

Other minor forms of power include Nuclear power (from uranium), Wind energy (wind), Tidal energy
(sea waves), Biogas ( cow dung), Geothermal ( volcanic activity), Natural gas (methane) etc.

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCTION (HEP)

Moving water has kinetic energy which can be converted into electrical energy. The larger the volume of
water the faster the water will flow and the greater the amount of power the water will produce.

HEP Production in Africa

The amount of Hydro-electric power is fairly small though the continent has the potential to produce
more of this energy. Small production is due to some factors such as :

-demand for electricity is small

-alternative use of other sources eg. firewood, gas etc.
-it is expensive
-industrial demand is too small as industries are not fully developed
-most water sources are internationally shared
-lack of capital
-lack of skills and technology
-political instabilities in some countries

Factors influencing HEP location and development

-Steep gradient/fall/slope
-Perennial supply of water
-impermeable rock / non porous rocks
-large market availability from industries and cities
-firm rock foundation/ solid geological base
-deep, narrow gorge

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HEP schemes in Africa

-Owen Falls project (Uganda) -Inga (DRC)

-Cabora-Bassa dam (Mozambique)
-Kariba dam (Zimbabwe/Zambia)
-Akosombo/Volta river project (Ghana)
-Kolwezi (Zambia)
-Hendrik Verwoed (S. Africa)
-Sennar dam (Sudan)
-Kafue (Zambia)
-Tekeze dam project(Ethiopia)
-Tana dam project (Kenya)
-Koko (Ethiopia)
-Jinja (Uganda)
-Aswan dam project(Egypt)
-Kainji (Nigeria)

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 Generation of power

-Water from the dam is made to fall down through PENSTOCK.

- The force of falling water rotates the turbine.
-The turbine drives the GENERATOR which produces electricity.

Advantages of HEP
-water is a renewable source of energy
-very low maintenance costs/ low running costs
b-clean form of energy/ pollution free
-higher production capacity / it is more efficient
-dam is multi-functional eg. tourism/fishing/ irrigation/industries etc.
Disadvantages of HEP
-expensive to construct/ very high initial costs
-flooding
-encourages water- borne diseases
-displacement of people which is expensive
-dam takes too much land which could be used for farming
-alters natural flow of the river
-silting of the dam affects turbines
-Species migration/ destruction of animal habitat
-disturbs the geological structure of the area eg. Earth tremors

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CASE STUDY ON KARIBA DAM PROJECT

Locational factors of Kariba HEP scheme

- perennial supply of water from Zambezi river.
-narrow Kariba gorge is deep enough to provide a large head of water needed to generate HEP eg 95m
-firm rock foundation to carry weight of dam wall
-steep gradient/ slope
-impermeable rock/non porous rocks which reduce infiltration of water underground

Reasons for development of Kariba HEP

-increased demand for electricity in the Zambian Copperbelt for smelting and refining copper
-increased demand for electricity in the Zimbabwean manufacturing and growing cities
-To reduce the growing demand for coal from Hwange (Zimbabwe)
-need for cheaper electricity

Impact of Kariba dam on the environment

-flooding which displaced people, killed animals and destroyed natural vegetation
-reduced the volume of water downstream hence affecting water flow along the Zambezi river
-it created flood plains
-weight of dam wall triggers earth tremors

Importance of Kariba Project on Zambia/Zimbabwe

-promotes self sufficiency therefore cheaper electricity supplied to Zimbabwean industries and Zambian
Copper mines
-dam is multifunctional eg. fishing/domestic use/water transport/flood control etc.
-provide infrastructure between Zambia and Zimbabwe eg bridge through dam wall
-jobs/ employment/ income
- foreign exchange through exports
-Attracts other industries eg. Tourism
-Training of locals/skills
-diversifies the economy

Why it is difficult to develop HEP in Botswana

-few perennial rivers
-Internationally shared rivers
-Porous rocks/ sandy soils
-flat land/ few dam sites/ no steep slope/no deep gorge
-markets are far from perennial rivers

THERMAL POWER PRODUCTION (FROM COAL)

Thermal power could be from coal, natural gas and petroleum. When it is from coal , the basic raw
materials are water and coal.

Conditions necessary for a Thermal power station

-station should be located near a coal mine to reduce transport costs
-nearness to a large source of water for cooling
-place should be connected to other areas by rail or road
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-large, flat land
-nearness to large populated centres/ industries/ market

Generation of Thermal power

-Coal is burnt to heat water

-heated water changes into steam
-steam at high pressure rotates the turbines
-the turbines drive the generator which produces electricity
-cooled steam turns into water or condenses

Advantages of Thermal power

-power station can be installed anywhere since coal can be transported
-alternative source of energy/ reduces over exploitation of natural vegetation
-Mining of coal encourages development of infrastructure
-does not take too much land as compared to hydro electric power

Disadvantages of Thermal power

-coal is bulky/ heavy or difficult to transport
-coal is non renewable source of energy
-it is dirty
-pollutes the atmosphere
-high running costs eg. High running costs
-very explosive nature of station/ highly dangerous
-difficult to dispose waste
-low production capacity/ inefficient

CASE STUDY – MORUPULE POWER STATION

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Map of Botswana showing Morupule Power Station ( include geographical features)

Reasons why the power station was located in Morupule-Palapye:

-presence of large deposits of coal

-large land
-flat land
-water for cooling from Paje which is 45 km away
-area is away from populated Palapye township
-availability of ready market in towns eg. F/Town, Serowe, Palapye, S/Phikwe, Gaborone, Orapa
-presence of North-South railway/ road
-national power grid passes through Morupule making connection of power to the grid easy

Benefits of Thermal power station to Botswana

-lead to self sufficiency in power production/ reduction of import bill

-has stimulated development of other industries
-creation of employment/ income to improve standards of living
-reduced importation of crude oil hence saving foreign exchange for the country
-development of infrastructure for service delivery
-training/skills development/ education for new jobs created
-economic diversification
Problems
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-destruction of the natural vegetation/ deforestation
-air pollution
-Coal is non- renewable source of energy
-running costs are high leading to expensive electricity to the consumers
-coal is heavy/ bulky
-coal is dirty
-difficulty in disposing waste

SOLAR POWER (FROM THE SUN)

Generation of Solar Power

-Solar panel with photovoltaic cells is exposed to sunlight

-Rays from the sun are trapped by photovoltaic cells
-The photovoltaic cells convert heat energy into electricity
-Electrical energy is then stored in batteries for later use
-The optional charge controller controls the level at which the battery can be charged or discharged

Advantages of Solar power

-cheap to run/ cheap maintenance costs
-clean/ pollution free
-abundant/ readily available
-renewable
-flexible/ can be installed anywhere

Disadvantages
-expensive equipment/ initial costs are very high
-intensity of rays varies according to cloud cover and seasons
-delicate or fragile equipment
-limited capacity/ low voltage

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Strategies used to conserve energy in Botswana
-education
-use of renewable sources of energy/ alternative sources eg. solar power
-tariffs
-repair faulty electrical appliances
-use of electricity- saving devices eg. Low voltage bulbs, automatic switches
-switch off lights/ electric appliances when not in use
-defrost refrigerators
-load shedding
-use smaller heating plates for cookers
-enclose fire places