Magiro Mini Hydro Power delivers affordable access to electricity for individuals, businesses and communities that are not connected to the main grid. The Company was Founded by Self Taught Eng, John Magiro From Murang’a County in Kenya. Magiro Hydro Electricity Limited (MHEL) has developed an innovative small scale 30 kW hydropower plant in Mihuti Village, which is solely composed of locally available standard engines, recycled bicycle parts and generates electricity from a local waterfall. As MHEL avoids the common connection charges of electricity suppliers and offers flexible pricing for its electricity supply, it offers affordable rates for both private households and local businesses, charging as low as USD 1 per month.
They build and operate small hydro power plants and offer a tailor made service that allows our customers to fully leverage the transformative development potential of electricity.
About small hydro power
Small Hydropower is the most sustainable, efficient and affordable energy source. Small hydropower is a great solution to help Kenyans meet their growing energy demands.
NOW WITH SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT, MAGIRO EMPLOYS 10 YOUNG LOCALS TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY
While still a student, John Magiro managed to produce hydro-electric power using the parts from an old bicycle. He gets his water from the local River Godo, in his village. Despite turning in a poor performance in physics at school, John was able to use his knowledge and ability to improvise over a period of three years, and to improve his prototype until he was able to generate enough electricity to power his mother’s home.
He began his mini hydro-electric power plant by borrowing Sh6,000 (€50/$60) from his mother, and by selling goats and rabbits he kept at home. John Magiro hoped to generate enough electricity to power his community as well as a nearby school.
His entrepreneurial pursuits were noticed by NETFUND as they scouted for entries for the The Green Innovation Award, which focuses on discovering new talent and innovations like John Magiro and his mini hydro-plant.
He put together a turbine system and now generates and supplies electricity at lower prices John aims to alleviate the work of collecting firewood, predominantly done by women and girls, by promoting renewable energy as a business sector and creating a hydroelectric plant from a small waterfall. Source: Facebook/ThisIsZinc
Through a nationwide search, National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) seeks to recognise, award and incubate green innovations in the field of Nature-based Enterprise, Water, Waste Management and Energy.
Now with support from the Kenyan government, through the NETFUND, Magiro currently employs 10 young locals to produce electricity while conserving the environment.
Sources: GabrielKihara, TheQueensYoungLeaders
Why Mini Hydro Power?
EFFICIENT and RELIABLE
A river flows constantly, generating electricity 24 hours a day as opposed to solar energy which produces energy for only half of the time. As a renewable power source, Hydropower is more reliable and affordable source than fossil fuels that are rapidly being depleted.
COST EFFECTIVE
Mini hydropower has limited installation and maintenance costs which allows us to sell electricity to our customers at an affordable rate.
LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Hydropower is fueled by water, so it’s a clean fuel source, meaning it won’t pollute the air like power plants that burn fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas. The water that is running through the turbines in the power plant flows fully back at the initial quality into the river.
SHORTER INSTALLATION TIME – Unlike large hydropower installation procedures, mini hydro is a pragmatic solution, requires less red tape and shorter installation time.
In agricultural Murang’a, the advantages of cooling agricultural produce cannot be underestimated. However, not everyone can afford a private fridge or freezer. That is why as of 1 September 2020 we will be offering cooling as a service. They do the upfront investment for a large cooling chamber. You pay us by square foot and per week. The first Magiro Power – Cooling as a Service installation will be available in Gikoe.
They also recognise the importance of being able to have access to electrical appliances to use our electricity for productive use purposes. That is why after full connection fee payments, Magiro clients can benefit from our appliance leasing offer to make full productive use of the electricity They supply. Following an initial deposit, appliances are fully acquired after 6 monthly instalments.
Magiro Mini Hydro Power CREDIT ON CONNECTION COST
With 15,000 KES, the cost to connect to Magiro Power is less than half that of our competitors.
Because They recognise this is a considerable investment for many of our customers, They propose a complimentary repayment schedule over 6 months. Payments are usually done weekly to our collections team.
Connection fee – cash: 15,000 KES
Connection fee – credit: 18,000 KES
– Monthly payments: 6,000 KES
– Weekly payments: 750 KES
COOLING AS A SERVICE
Magiro Power is currently working on the development of a new service…
A centralised cooling facility allowing us to offer a cooling service for fruit, vegetables, fish and meat
Expected launch date: 1 September 2020
Expected location: Gikoe town, near the Magiro Power sales office
APPLIANCE LEASING
WATER PUMP
Warranty: 6 months
Price: Cash- Ksh 9,400
Hire purchase- Ksh 12000
A water pump allows our customers to have access to water in house and for irrigation purposes
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Unique design of submersible pump specially applicable for water supply from wells
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The pump is of positive displacement type using a vibrating diaphragm which is efficient and also has the capacity to handle light silt loads
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Of compact construction and robust design, the pump is also easily disassembled for maintenance and is securely installed by suspension on a rope in the well
Partners
Hydrobox
Hydrobox develops MEDIUM (+500 kW) & ON-GRID hydropower plants that provide electricity to farms, industry and the national electricity grid thereby reinforcing the reliability of electricity in the country.
As part of its vision to operate as a financially sustainable company while having a direct social impact in the communities it operates, Hydrobox has taken a participation in Magiro Power bringing in financial means, as well technological and business expertise.
The partnership between Magiro Power and Hydrobox aims at fine-tuning Magiro Power’s technology & business model in order to help Magiro Power scale up its proposition of affordable electricity to households & businesses in rural areas across Kenya.
National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND)
Kenya’s National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) is a semi-autonomous state agency under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry with a mission to empower Kenyans to sustainably manage the environment through the promotion and support of Green Growth initiatives.
Through the NETFUND Green Innvoations Award, the organization identifies, supports and incubates promising green initiatives by Kenyans.
John Magiro was the winner of the 2016 Green Innovations award. NETFUND has been supporting Magiro Power ever since through training, technical assistance and linkages.
For the project EmPOWERING Young & Female Entrepreneurship, NETFUND is extending this support to promising young & female entrepreneurs start up or scale up their electricity powered business through:
– Financial support: up to 5.000 USD seed funding
– Technical assistance: linkages with experts
– Business training & coaching
Magiro Mini Hydro Power Contacts
Magiro Hydro Electricity Limited
P.O. Box 306-00502
Nairobi, Kenya
contact @ magiropower.com
Website: https://www.magiropower.com/
What is a Microhydropower Systems
Microhydropower can be one of the most simple and consistent forms or renewable energy on your property.
If you have water flowing through your property, you might consider building a small hydropower system to generate electricity. Microhydropower systems usually generate up to 100 kilowatts of electricity. Most of the hydropower systems used by homeowners and small business owners, including farmers and ranchers, would qualify as microhydropower systems. But a 10-kilowatt microhydropower system generally can provide enough power for a large home, a small resort, or a hobby farm.
A microhydropower system needs a turbine, pump, or waterwheel to transform the energy of flowing water into rotational energy, which is converted into electricity.
Our page on planning a microhydropower system has more information.
How a Microhydropower System Works
Microhydropower System Components
Run-of-the-river microhydropower systems consist of these basic components:
- Water conveyance — channel, pipeline, or pressurized pipeline (penstock) that delivers the water
- Turbine, pump, or waterwheel — transforms the energy of flowing water into rotational energy
- Alternator or generator — transforms the rotational energy into electricity
- Regulator — controls the generator
- Wiring — delivers the electricity.
Commercially available turbines and generators are usually sold as a package. Do-it-yourself systems require careful matching of a generator with the turbine horsepower and speed.
Many systems also use an inverter to convert the low-voltage direct current (DC) electricity produced by the system into 120 or 240 volts of alternating current (AC) electricity. (Alternatively, you can buy household appliances that run on DC electricity.)
Whether a microhydropower system will be grid-connected or stand-alone will determine many of its balance of system components.
For example, some stand-alone systems use batteries to store the electricity generated by the system. However, because hydropower resources tend to be more seasonal in nature than wind or solar resources, batteries may not always be practical for microhydropower systems. If you do use batteries, they should be located as close to the turbine as possible because it is difficult to transmit low-voltage power over long distances.
Turbine Types
Impulse Turbines
Impulse turbines, which have the least complex design, are most commonly used for high-head microhydro systems. They rely on the velocity of water to move the turbine wheel, which is called the runner. The most common types of impulse turbines include the Pelton wheel and the Turgo wheel.
- Pelton wheel — uses the concept of jet force to create energy. Water is funneled into a pressurized pipeline with a narrow nozzle at one end. The water sprays out of the nozzle in a jet, striking the double-cupped buckets attached to the wheel. The impact of the jet spray on the curved buckets creates a force that rotates the wheel at high efficiency rates of 70–90%. Pelton wheel turbines are available in various sizes and operate best under low-flow and high-head conditions.
- Turgo impulse wheel — an upgraded version of the Pelton. It uses the same jet spray concept, but the Turgo jet, which is half the size of the Pelton, is angled so that the spray hits three buckets at once. As a result, the Turgo wheel moves twice as fast. It’s also less bulky, needs few or no gears, and has a good reputation for trouble-free operations. The Turgo can operate under low-flow conditions but requires a medium or high head.
- Jack Rabbit turbine — a drop-in-the-creek turbine that can generate power from a stream with as little as 13 inches of water and no head. Output from the Jack Rabbit is a maximum of 100 Watts, so daily output averages 1.5–2.4 kilowatt-hours, depending on your site. Sometimes referred to as the Aquair UW Submersible Hydro Generator.
Reaction Turbines
Reaction turbines, which are highly efficient, depend on pressure rather than velocity to produce energy. All blades of the reaction turbine maintain constant contact with the water. These turbines are often used in large-scale hydropower sites.
Because of their complexity and high cost, reaction turbines aren’t usually used for microhydropower projects. An exception is the propeller turbine, which comes in many different designs and works much like a boat’s propeller.
Propeller turbines have three to six usually fixed blades set at different angles aligned on the runner. The bulb, tubular, and Kaplan tubular are variations of the propeller turbine. The Kaplan turbine, which is a highly adaptable propeller system, can be used for microhydro sites.
Pumps and Waterwheels
Conventional pumps can be used as substitutes for hydraulic turbines. When the action of a pump is reversed, it operates like a turbine. Since pumps are mass produced, you’ll find them more readily than turbines. Pumps are also less expensive. For adequate pump performance, however, your microhydropower site must have fairly constant head and flow. Pumps are also less efficient and more prone to damage.
The waterwheel is the oldest hydropower system component. Waterwheels are still available, but they aren’t very practical for generating electricity because of their slow speed and bulky structure.
