Kiymbi Dam

The Kyimbi River originates in the Mugandja plateau at a height of 6,560 feet (2,000 m). It contains a series of falls over a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km), with the largest 300 to 500 feet (91 to 152 m) high. The total drop in this section is over 2,500 feet (760 m).[1] They are among the highest falls in the African continent to be used for power generation.[2] In the dry season the average flow is 3 to 10 cubic metres per second (110 to 350 cu ft/s), but this rises to 150 cubic metres per second (5,300 cu ft/s) in the rainy season.[3]

In 1948 it was reported that a company had been formed to build a hydroelectric plant on the Kyimbi river in the north of Katanga, to supply Albertville (now called Kalemie). Operations were expected to start in 1950.[4] The plant was to be built near Bendera.[5] This is about 110 kilometres (68 mi) from Albertville.[6] There were delays. A 1952 report said that construction was still planned.[7] A 1954 report described the planned structure as a dam 14.5 metres (48 ft) high that would provide water to five generating units, each with 8,250-kilowatt (11,060 hp) capacity, or 41,250 kilowatts (55,320 hp) in total.[6]

The plant was eventually built and operated by the Forces de L'Est du Congo (FEC), a company that began operations in 1955 to provide power to the eastern Congo.[8] It began delivering power from two of the five planned turbines in 1959.[9] Additional turbines were to be installed as needed to meet demand.[2] The architect Eugene Palumbo, assigned to the Congo by UNESCO, designed the service city of the dam construction project.[10]

The dam is above the main Kiymbi waterfalls and consists of a concrete arc 60 metres (200 ft) in length, with a crest altitude of 1,652.2 metres (5,421 ft). The dam's capacity is about 75,000 cubic metres (61 acre⋅ft). Water is carried away from the dam in a horizontal direction along a 1,428 metres (4,685 ft) covered channel, or gallery, to a point above the power station. The gallery is partially lined with concrete, with a width of 3.5 metres (11 ft) where it is lined and 4.5 metres (15 ft) where it is unlined. The gallery terminates in a de-sanding chamber 30 metres (98 ft) long and 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter which eliminates any sand particles larger than .03 millimetres (0.0012 in) in diameter. The sand is flushed down a gully to the river below.[2]

From a tank at the end of the de-sander, the water is fed to the power plant by a steep conduit 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) long with a diameter decreasing from 1.1 to .9 metres (3 ft 7 in to 2 ft 11 in). The drop is about 677 metres (2,221 ft). The water powers the turbines and is discharged into the river below the waterfalls.[2] The power station came online in 1959 with two 8,250 kilowatt generators, with potential for three more of the same capacity.[9] A 132 kW line carried the electricity to Albertville.[2]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo became independent in June 1960.[11] The state electricity company, Société nationale d'électricité (SNEL), prepared a study of rehabilitating the Kiymbi power station in 1992.[12] A 2007 report prepared for the World Bank evaluated rehabilitation of the power plant. The very rough estimate of cost from a "reconnaissance" study would be US$52.06 million for 43 MW installed capacity.[13] The report recommended making a priority of a more detailed study.[14]

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