ACOPAMEC, a Brazilian NGO, aims at reducing poverty of the Mata Escura communities in Salvador de Bahia. It manages among others a secondary school and a professional training centre.

ACOPAMEC has requested Energy Assistance expertise for the electrification of its training centre.
With the help of Brazilian volunteers, Energy Assistance has among others:

-designed a renewed electrical circuit included a new high tension station,
-purchased with ACOPAMEC the necessary electrical and technical equipment,
-helped the Brazilian NGO with the selection of a local supplier and with the acceptance of the installed equipment,
-given a training to ACOPAMEC qualified persons for the future running and maintenance of the installed systems.

With this Energy Assistance realization, around a thousand young people per year pursue their education with better chance to find a job in the future.

Volunteers :Danilo Pereira de Castro (Leme Engenharia Brazil),Ítalo Augusto Vasconcelos David (Leme Engenharia Brazil)
Project Leader :Maurice Roch (retired ENGIE Tractebel)

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Last March, three Energy Assistance volunteers took the road to the Bas-Congo in DRC in order to carry out several missions that were not always easy. The volunteeers provided their expertise in electrical grid construction and management to the locals.

The volunteer’s first stop was in Lukula where they worked hand in hand with the teams of SNEL (National Democratic Republic of Congo’s power utility). They took part in the extension of the local overhead network and to the construction of a 30 kV transformer substation, allowing the connection of a health center to the grid.
They then headed to Kivuvu where they repaired a cabinet supplying a hospital specialized in the fight against leprosy and tuberculosis : “We have replaced the transformer and the general low voltage board, and have upgraded the landings and surge protectors to protect the facilities” explains Dominique. “Before our intervention, this cabinet underwent frequent failures and the hospital often had to wait several weeks for repairs”f.

Last leg of their journey : Tumba.The volunteers provided transport and supply of two transformers to allow the powering of a school and of the village residents. This will enable the construction of a 15 kV overhead line in the near future.

Volunteers : Dominique Keser and Georges Echement (ORES), Marcel Bavay (retired ORES)
Project Leader : Roland Rosseel

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