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How did an isolated town in North Kivu overcome its energy challenges to enter a new era of development?
Walikale, nestled in the heart of the North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, faced many challenges in terms of access to electrical energy. This city, despite its natural wealth and economic potential, was limited by a lack of reliable energy systems, thus hampering economic activities and the quality of life of its inhabitants.
Before GoShop stepped in, Walikale residents were living in darkness, literally and metaphorically. The lack of a stable energy infrastructure was holding back local businesses, limiting essential public services and making daily life difficult for residents. It was in this context that Nduma Kasha, with the visionary initiative of Minister Rubens Mikindo Muhima, decided to partner with GoShop to change this reality.
Walikale is a town located in a dense and often difficult to access region of North Kivu. The town and its surroundings have immense economic potential thanks to their natural resources, but this potential remained largely untapped due to energy constraints.
GoShop took charge of the construction and commissioning of a modern power plant, accompanied by a distribution line that initially serves 240 connections. But GoShop’s commitment did not stop at the establishment of the infrastructure. A dedicated team accompanied Nduma Kasha for three months to ensure optimal management of this new energy source.
Technical details of the project include:
- Customers installed: 240 single-phase and three-phase meters
- Installed panels: 80 x 400 W = 32 kWc
- Available storage: 10 x 5 kWh = 50 kVa
- DC to AC converter: 3 Quattro of 15 kVa for a three-phase network of 45 kVa
- Grid inverter: Fronius 27 kW
