Regional professionals in energy share practices in renewable energy to overcome energy challenge

23-10-2019

Experts in Public, Private, Academic institutions and researchers from Rwanda and the region have started five-day training in Power Engineering | Microgrid and Smartgrid. The training aims at providing skills in designing, operating, validating and implementing microgrid and smartgrid system.

The five- day training will equip professionals in energy with skills in Power Engineering | Microgrid | Smartgrid focusing on the small wind turbines (off-grid system), high voltage direct current technology (HVDC), wind power plant with DFIG, hydropower with pumping and classical power generation, power transmission and protection technology ,industrial photovoltaic system among others.

In his opening remarks, Prof Etienne Ntagwirumugara, Director of the African Center of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development explained that the essence of the training is to help professionals in this domain having hands on practical exercises.

“We were used to the education system where we get theories from lecturers but at the Center our offerings are outstanding, we learn by doing”, he said.
He added that with these skills, trainees will contribute in finding solutions to existing regional renewable energy challenges.

Participants to this training are experimenting renewable energy theories with Hi-E Tech Laboratory facility available at the Center. Prof. Ntagwirumugara highlighted that after these training participants may run renewable energy-related business in their respective countries as they will be more knowledgeable about renewable energy function.

Paul Ekwam is one of trainees doing Masters in Renewable Energy from Kenya. He believes that after the training, he will have acquired much knowledge related to renewable energy with practice.

“I have never had this opportunity of learning different modules in renewable energy with practice in such a Hi-Tech Smartgrid Laboratory and I am ready to duplicate what I will gain from here to my community”, he said.
Aphrodice Nduwamungu, the Hi E-Tech Smartgrid Laboratory engineer says that skills that will be gained during this training will be beneficial especially to rural communities.

63 participants to this training are from Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, DRC, and Malawi.