Methane Gas may Become a Major Power in Rwanda

甲烷可能会变成卢旺达的一种主要能源

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

Methane gas from a lake in Rwanda may soon become a major supply of electricity. Millions of people in that central African country could use the energy. An American company and the Rwandan government signed the power agreement in early August at the U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington. The company is Symbion Power. The deal will provide electricity, and lower the risk of an environmental disaster at Lake Kivu.

来自卢旺达一个湖泊里的甲烷气体可能很快会成为一个主要的电力供应源。在非洲中部国家的数百万人可以使用到该能源。8月初，在华盛顿举行的美国——非洲峰会上，美国的一家公司和卢旺达签署了这一电力协议。该美国公司是Symbion Power，这份协议达成后，将会为提供电力，来降低基伍湖环境灾难的风险。

There are three lakes in Africa that contain such high levels of carbon dioxide and methane gas that they are at risk of exploding. Two of them, Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun, are in Cameroon. They exploded in the 1980s. Carbon dioxide released in the Lake Nyos explosion killed more than 1,700 people. Some victims were as far as 26 kilometers away.

在非洲有三个含有这样高浓度二氧化碳和甲烷气体的湖泊，而且它们都存在爆炸的风险。另外两个湖泊是喀麦隆的尼奥斯湖和莫奴恩湖，这两个湖在上世纪80年代发生了爆炸，其中尼奥斯湖爆炸后释放出来的二氧化碳导致1700多人死亡，26公里以外都有一些人受伤。

Lake Kivu, in Rwanda, could have an even worse gas explosion. That is because more than two million people live near the shores of Lake Kivu, including in the large towns of Goma and Gisenyi.

而卢旺达的基伍湖可能会发生更严重的气体爆炸，这是因为有200多万人生活在基伍湖附近，其中还包括戈马和吉塞尼两个大城镇的居民。

Paul Hinks is the chief of Symbion Power. Last month, the company agreed to build a power station at Lake Kivu. Mr. Hinks says it is important that the methane be removed from the lake before a disaster happens.

保罗·辛克思是Symbion Power公司的负责人，上个月，该公司同意在基伍湖建立一个发电站。辛克思先生称，重要的是，要在灾难发生之前，除去湖中的甲烷。

"The buildup of methane in Lake Kivu is a serious problem for Rwanda, so the plan for Lake Kivu is to turn methane gas into power."

“基伍湖中甲烷的不断积累，对卢旺达来说是一个非常严重的问题。所以我们为基伍湖设定的计划是将湖中的甲烷转化为电力能源。”

Scientists agree that the methane level must be lowered in Lake Kivu. But, there are worries that the act of pumping out the gas could cause problems.

科学家们表示赞成，认为必须降低基伍湖的甲烷浓度。但是，也有人担心这个将气体排出的行动过程会产生其他问题。

"The problem is of course (if) you just put in a pipe and start sucking out the water and separating the methane and the CO2 from the water, there is a potential to create the very problem you're trying to avoid, which is escape of the methane gas into the atmosphere."

“其中的问题无疑是，如果你只是插入一根管道来抽水，并且将甲烷和二氧化碳从水中分离出来，这样可能就会产生一个你极力想避免却又可能发生的严重问题，那就是泄漏出的甲烷气体进入空气之中。”

Symbion Power agrees that this is a risk. Mr. Hinks says his company will work to remove the gas safely.

Symbion Power公司认同这是一个存在的风险。辛克思先生称，他的公司将会努力的将气体安全的消除。

"There's a set of rules, if you like. They're called lake management prescriptions, and they cover all the issues that companies like us have to follow when they extract methane gas from the lake."

“如果你想知道的话，这里是有一系列规定的，这些规定被称为湖泊管理规定，这些规定中涵盖了像我们这类公司从湖水中提取甲烷气体时，需要遵循的所有注意事项。”

Kibuye Power company already operates a small power center that uses the lake's methane. Laurent Sibomana supervises the center in the town of Gisenyi. He told VOA it is not easy to remove methane gas from the lake.

Kibuye Power公司已经利用该湖中甲烷气体，运营了一家小型发电站。Laurent Sibomana负责监管吉塞尼镇的电站中心，他对美国之音称，要把甲烷气体从湖中去除，并不是件容易的事。

Mr. Hinks says Symbion Power has experience working in difficult places, including Iraq and Afghanistan. He says it has the knowledge and money to succeed at Lake Kivu.

辛克思先生称，Symbion Power公司又在伊拉克和阿富汗等条件艰难的地方工作的经验，并称，其公司具备在基伍湖取得成功的专业知识和雄厚的资金实力。

And that's the VOA Learning English Economics Report. I'm Mario Ritter.

这就是本期的美国之音慢速英语经济报道的全部内容，我是马里奥·里特。

_____________________________________________________________

Words in the News

supply - v., to give; to provide; n., the amount of something that can be given or sold to others

environment - n., all surrounding things, conditions and influences that affect life; the natural world of land, sea, air, plants and animals

release - v., to free; to permit to go; to permit to be known or made public

problem - n., a difficult question or situation with an unknown or unclear answer

experience - v., to live through an event, situation or condition ("She experienced great pain."); n., something that one has done or lived through ("The experience caused her great pain.")

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

Methane gas from a lake in Rwanda may soon become a major supply of electricity. Millions of people in that central African country could use the energy. An American company and the Rwandan government signed the power agreement in early August at the U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington. The company is Symbion Power. The deal will provide electricity, and lower the risk of an environmental disaster at Lake Kivu.

There are three lakes in Africa that contain such high levels of carbon dioxide and methane gas that they are at risk of exploding. Two of them, Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun, are in Cameroon. They exploded in the 1980s. Carbon dioxide released in the Lake Nyos explosion killed more than 1,700 people. Some victims were as far as 26 kilometers away.

Lake Kivu, in Rwanda, could have an even worse gas explosion. That is because more than two million people live near the shores of Lake Kivu, including in the large towns of Goma and Gisenyi.

Paul Hinks is the chief of Symbion Power. Last month, the company agreed to build a power station at Lake Kivu. Mr. Hinks says it is important that the methane be removed from the lake before a disaster happens.

"The buildup of methane in Lake Kivu is a serious problem for Rwanda, so the plan for Lake Kivu is to turn methane gas into power."

Scientists agree that the methane level must be lowered in Lake Kivu. But, there are worries that the act of pumping out the gas could cause problems.

"The problem is of course (if) you just put in a pipe and start sucking out the water and separating the methane and the CO2 from the water, there is a potential to create the very problem you're trying to avoid, which is escape of the methane gas into the atmosphere."

Symbion Power agrees that this is a risk. Mr. Hinks says his company will work to remove the gas safely.

"There's a set of rules, if you like. They're called lake management prescriptions, and they cover all the issues that companies like us have to follow when they extract methane gas from the lake."

Kibuye Power company already operates a small power center that uses the lake's methane. Laurent Sibomana supervises the center in the town of Gisenyi. He told VOA it is not easy to remove methane gas from the lake.

Mr. Hinks says Symbion Power has experience working in difficult places, including Iraq and Afghanistan. He says it has the knowledge and money to succeed at Lake Kivu.

And that's the VOA Learning English Economics Report. I'm Mario Ritter.

Correspondent Nick Long reported this story from Gisenyi, Rwanda. Christopher Cruise wrote it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in the News

supply - v., to give; to provide; n., the amount of something that can be given or sold to others

environment - n., all surrounding things, conditions and influences that affect life; the natural world of land, sea, air, plants and animals

release - v., to free; to permit to go; to permit to be known or made public

problem - n., a difficult question or situation with an unknown or unclear answer

experience - v., to live through an event, situation or condition ("She experienced great pain."); n., something that one has done or lived through ("The experience caused her great pain.")