The Chambamontera micro-hydro scheme, Peru
A remote Andean village that built its own small hydroelectric scheme with Practical Action, transforming homes, school and businesses.
- Verified
- Peru
- Library
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Evidence
8 figures, each threaded to its source
Total cost of the scheme
51,000US$
3 sources
“The total cost for the micro-hydro scheme was US$51,000.”
Average cost per family
750US$
3 sources
“each family faced an average cost of US$750”
Capacity the scheme was designed for
15kW
“Practical Action held consultation meetings with the community and worked together to develop a micro-hydro scheme capable of producing 15 kW of power.”
Generator output as built
20kW
“the generator and Pelton wheel were upsized to produce 20kw”
Daily income of many villagers
2US$ per day
“Nearly half the population survive on just US$2 per day.”
Practical Action micro-hydro schemes across Peru
47schemes
2 sources
“47 micro-hydro schemes have been installed”
Peruvian families supplied by these schemes
5,000families
2 sources
“providing electricity to about 5,000 families”
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Background
Chambamontera is a small farming community high on the eastern slopes of the Andes in northern Peru. It sits more than two hours by rough track from the nearest town, Jaen, so connecting the village to the national electricity grid was never realistic. Families relied on kerosene lamps, candles and firewood, which were expensive, unhealthy and a fire risk, and many households live on around 2 US dollars a day. The area does have one resource in plenty. Steep slopes and reliable rainfall feed fast flowing streams all year round. With support from the charity Practical Action, the community built a micro-hydro scheme. A channel diverts part of a stream into a pressure pipe called a penstock, which drops the water onto a small turbine to generate electricity, then returns it to the river. The scheme cost about 51,000 US dollars, funded by the government, Japanese donors and the villagers themselves, who paid around 750 dollars per family using credit.
Causes
Too remote for the grid
The village lies high in the Andes, more than two hours from Jaen along a rough track. Running power lines across mountains to a handful of scattered farms would cost far more than any electricity company could recover, so without a local scheme Chambamontera would have waited decades for the national grid.
Poverty and costly alternatives
Many families survive on about 2 US dollars a day, yet they were paying out for kerosene, candles and batteries that gave poor light and caused burns and breathing problems. A one-off scheme with tiny running costs made better sense than endlessly buying fuel, and credit spread each family's 750 dollar share over time.
Ideal physical geography
Micro-hydro needs a steady flow of water and a steep drop, and Chambamontera has both. High rainfall feeds streams that run all year, while the mountainsides provide the head of water that gives the turbine its power. The scheme runs off the river's natural flow, so no large dam or reservoir was needed.
Effects
Primary
- The run-of-river scheme was designed to produce 15 kW, and its generator and Pelton wheel were upsized to 20 kW before it opened.
- Homes, the school and the health post gained electric light and power for the first time.
- Families stopped depending on kerosene lamps and candles for lighting.
Secondary
- Small businesses grew, including coffee processing machines that let farmers sell a finished product instead of raw beans.
- Children can study after dark, improving their chances at school.
- Refrigeration and equipment at the health post improved basic medical care.
Social
- Homes are safer and healthier without smoky, flammable kerosene lighting.
- The community gained skills and pride from building and running its own power supply.
- Better lighting and communication reduce the isolation that pushed young people to leave.
Economic
- Households save money once fuel purchases stop, though the 750 dollar share was a heavy cost for some families.
- Electric machinery raises farm incomes, especially from processed coffee.
- Across Peru, Practical Action schemes like this one supply about 5,000 families, creating markets for local turbine makers.
Environmental
- The scheme takes only part of the stream's flow and returns it, so the river is barely changed.
- No large dam or reservoir was built and no valley was flooded.
- Electric light and power reduce the burning of kerosene and firewood, cutting smoke and pressure on nearby forest.
Responses
Immediate
- Practical Action provided the engineering design and the community supplied labour, digging the channel and installing the penstock and turbine.
- A credit scheme let each family spread its 750 US dollar contribution rather than paying all at once.
- Villagers agreed rules on paying for and sharing the limited electricity supply.
Long term
- Local people were trained to operate and maintain the turbine, so the scheme, designed to last at least 25 years, does not depend on outside engineers.
- Small tariffs collected from users pay for spare parts and repairs.
- Practical Action used the model across Peru, installing 47 micro-hydro schemes that bring power to thousands of mountain families.
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