Ecobreves – CUBA: Alternative Energy for Remote Town

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

HAVANA, Sep 29 2003 (IPS) - The 400 residents of El Mamey, a village in a remote mountainous region in central Cuba, saw their living conditions improve with the implementation of hydroelectric energy. To solve the problem of the lack of potable water, researchers replaced an old 15-kilowatt electric pump, which constantly broke down, with a hydraulic ram that uses energy from a waterfall.

This mechanical device, invented in 1796, functions with the force of the water and gravity, is automatic and requires minimum maintenance.

Water supplies are thus ensured for more than 100 homes, scattered throughout the area