The hydropower plant will generate 12.5 megawatts of clean energy for communities living around the park, essentially doubling the existing hydroelectric capacity.
American philanthropist Howard G. Buffett is providing funding for a hydroelectric project on a river inthe eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Howard G. Buffett, through the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, has provided $19.7 million in funding for the construction of a hydroelectric project that will be located on a river that runs through Virunga National Park in eastern D.R. Congo.
The hydropower plant will generate 12.5 megawatts of clean energy for communities living around the park, essentially doubling the existing hydroelectric capacity.
“The provision of electricity will boost the agricultural transformation industry from coffee, livestock, fish and support post-conflict industries such as tourism, thereby increasing rural employment and farmers’ revenue in one of the most impoverished areas on earth,” read the statement from Buffett’s foundation.
“The sale of electricity will also fund the park’s protection for the next 75 to 100 years, thus securing the area as a pristine World Heritage Site and home to many unique species including the endangered mountain gorillas,” according to the statement released.
An analysis commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature found that hydroelectric plants that are powered by the Virunga National’s Park’s watershed have the potential to generate $10 million annually, and could spark an economic stimulus leading to 10,000 job creation.
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private family foundation, works to improve the standard of living and quality of life for some of the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations. A large part of their work goes to water security, where they focus on water resource management. – EcoSeed Staff
