Daesung Group (CEO, Younghoon David Kim) is holding a completion ceremony at a village elementary school in Bulchana, Ethiopia. This is to celebrate the completion of `Solar Energy Support Project`, which supplies electricity and drinking water to 1,100 households using a facility running new and renewable energy in Ethiopia.
Locations of the project, Bulchana village and Boledena village, are about 200km southeast of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Both villages have the population of 500 and 600 which are considered as large village, but this is the first time they are getting the electricity. In Ethiopia, 40% are equipped with electricity and only 25% of people in farming areas are supplied with clean drinking water.
Daesung Global Network, a subsidiary of Daesung Group in charge of plant construction, was to undertake the project to deliver electricity and drinking water using new and renewable energy to people in the back alley of civilization. One 64kW class photovoltaic (PV) electric power generation equipment was installed in the elementary school in each respective village. And, 3kW class photovoltaic electric power generation equipment in a family center, and 200W class photovoltaic street lamps were installed.
Due to insufficient underwater, the plan to pump up underground water to supply drinking water using PV electricity had to be scraped. But, it was replaced by interconnecting water pipes to a nearby water reservoir about 5.6km away.
The electricity generated by PV system is supplied to battery charging system in a school and homes. The home batteries supplied to about 1,100 households can turn on 1~2 lights per home. Once charged, the battery can be used for 5~6 days, thus enabling people for night activities. Since the house structure was weak and the usage of electric home appliance was low, this method was chosen to provide electricity to as many people as possible at a minimum cost.
A new drinking fountain was built within a school. Now, students can study at the school and are able to carry water after school instead of missing school to get water from many miles away. The battery charging station and watering station were built in a school to improve the school attendance of children.
As part of `Lighting Asia & Africa: LANA` Project supported by the National Assembly, `Solar Energy Support Project for Ethiopia` is to provide photovoltaic electric power generation equipment to underdeveloped countries in Asia and Africa and is executed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The elementary schools in Bulchana and Boledena were built by KOICA. Daesung Group started the project on June of last year, and after 16 months of construction, the regional electricity and drinking water problems were resolved.
Daesung Group installed SolaWin System (hybrid power generation using photovoltaic and wind power) in Mongolia to prevent desertification and to deliver electricity and drinking water to the people. In addition to Mongolia and Ethiopia, Daesung Group has supplied SolaWin System and other new and renewable energy to Kazakhstan and Bangladesh to pave the ways to improve the quality of life for the people. Furthermore, the company is trying to spread the use of SolaWin System to Congo and other African countries.
Source: etoday
