Science Alert January 27, 2022
Lake Kivu one of Africa’s great Rift lakes lies between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thousands of years of volcanic activity has caused a massive accumulation of methane and carbon dioxide to dissolve in the depths of Kivu. If triggered, a so-called limnic eruption would cause “a huge explosion of gas from deep waters to the surface” resulting in large waves and a poisonous gas cloud that would put the lives of millions at risk. A company called KivuWatty pumps water saturated with carbon dioxide and methane from around 350 meters (1,150 feet) to the surface, extracts, methane which is transformed into electricity. The carbon dioxide is pumped back into the lake at a precise enough depth to ensure the delicate balance is not upset. KivuWatt produces around 30 percent of the annual electricity consumed in the East African nation. The company says it hopes that removing methane could over time reduce pressure within the lake, possibly lowering the risk of a limnic eruption. According to Swiss scientists it takes centuries to have really a reduction of methane in the lake…read more.