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Abstract Currently in the world, the development of renewable energy appears as a relevant contribution fighting against the climate change. Micro hydro power plants (MHPP) are an excellent method of harnessing renewable energy. Cameroon has lots of small waterfalls suitable for the development of MHPP. But, their development is not yet effective because of the lack of data and technology skills. The objective of this work is to develop and propose a software tool for the feasibility studies of MHPP in Cameroon, which take into account locals advantages and constraints in the intention to contribute to the efficiency of their development in that country. The software named Mass_Hydro has been developed using the development environment called Eclipse. That tool has particularity to allow respectively, through nine (9) modules, to register data about acknowledgement of the site and calculate the height of the waterfall (m), to estimate the demand of power (kW), calculate the potential (kW), plot flow duration curve and propose a installed power (kW), propose a turbine, estimate the investment cost and simulate the profitability, payback period and finally help to design Weir, intake, channel, fore bay, penstock and power house. The effectiveness of that software was successfully confirmed in the application on two MHPP (Kemken and Bakassa) already studied in Cameroon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroelectricity is the largest source of renewable energy. However, large hydroelectric power stations will no longer be built enough. But there is tremendous potential for small hydropower that is seen as a more suitable renewable energy source. Cameroon has also a great hydroelectric potential. This work presents a simple method of the feasibility studies of a Micro Hydroelectric Power Plant (MHPP) project, in the intention to contribute to its development in Cameroon. The study was supported by feasibility studies of the KEMKEN MHPP project. It is a project of 320 kW of installed power, where the Kaplan turbine is recommended, the investment cost evaluated at 212 486 656 FCFA with a payback period around 7 years. This work contains the necessary elements of the feasibility studies of a MHPP project in rural locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]