Quiet, clean, reliable power
Solar power plant supplies power and clean drinking water for wildlife camp
Lékédi Park, Gabon, Africa is home to several fisheries as well as other wildlife indigenous to Central Africa. A private enterprise run by the Société d'Exploitation du Parc de Lékédi (SODEPAL), this 140 square-kilometer park was created by mining company COMILOG in an effort to promote tourism and create a protected area for animals.
A base camp for staff and visitors needed a cost-effective, reliable, scalable solution for power and water supply for this remote, off-the-grid location. SODEPAL worked with local Cat® dealer Tractafric Equipment to design and install two separate power solutions. A solar power plant with 420 Cat PVT110 thin-film solar panels includes the most economical and advanced energy storage with controls and monitoring. A Cat 3.3 gen set with nominal power of 33kVA offers high power density, high-part load efficiencies, and an excellent capability to follow loads.
A second, separate system of solar panels was installed to power the water supply system. Six Cat PVT110 solar panels power a pump which pushes water uphill to provide drinkable water to the entire camp. A single-phase AC backup gen set supplements power to the pump when needed.
This solar generation power solution offsets 18,000 liters of diesel, saves 2,100 hours in commute time with staff living on campus, and raises the standard of living for permanent park management residents.