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Renewvia Energy Corp. is expanding its solar-powered mini-grid operations into four African countries as renewable energy providers increasingly move to address the continent’s widening electricity deficit.
Renewvia Energy Corp. is expanding its solar-powered mini-grid operations into four African countries as renewable energy providers increasingly move to address the continent’s widening electricity deficit.
The Atlanta-based company plans to expand into Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a move expected to require about $750 million in investment for roughly 2.1 million electricity connections, according to Renewvia Solar Africa CEO Trey Jarrard.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the global epicentre of energy poverty, with nearly 600 million people lacking access to electricity, accounting for more than 80% of the world’s unelectrified population.
Efforts to close the gap have intensified under the World Bank and African Development Bank-backed Mission 300 initiative, which aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, Bloomberg reported.
Renewvia already operates 24 commercial mini-grids across Kenya and Nigeria, ranging from 100 kilowatts to 2.5 megawatts. The systems supply electricity to rural communities and commercial clients, including Shell, UBA Bank, and UNHCR.
The company is also seeking $45 million in concessional financing to expand a metro-grid in Kakuma and develop a renewable energy plant in Dadaab, two of the world’s largest refugee settlements.
According to Jarrard, the financing would allow Renewvia to keep electricity tariffs affordable through longer-term, lower-interest loans. The project could increase electricity access in Kakuma and Dadaab fivefold, potentially reaching more than 550,000 people.
Renewvia has also established local entities in Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia to support early-stage development efforts. One of its proposed projects includes a mini-grid in Baraka, a town on the shores of Lake Tanganyika with a population of about 270,000 people.
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