Electrifying Rural Africa: These Microgrids and Minigrids Are Breaking Poverty Cycles and Improving Quality of Life for Millions
As of 2022, 600 million people in Africa, or 43% of the continent’s population, lacked access to reliable electricity.
Fortunately, that number is on the decline thanks to a boom in microgrid development in recent years. From Nigeria to Zambia, Uganda, Madagascar and beyond, millions of people are now benefiting from increased access to clean, reliable and locally produced electricity.
Whether they’re called microgrids or minigrids (another term for remote microgrids that are not connected to a centralized grid), the electricity delivered by the technology has been proven to drive economic development and reduce poverty as well as improve access to clean water and the internet.
In short, microgrids are transforming lives in rural Africa.
This was on full display in a recent webinar hosted by RePower, a European Union-funded project that has been instrumental in installing renewable plug-and-play microgrids across the African continent.
During the webinar, “Productive Uses of Renewable Electricity in Africa,” RePower highlighted several innovative renewable energy microgrids, illustrating how productive uses of energy can break poverty cycles and improve quality of life.
Empowering communities and local businesses with renewable energy
RePower aims to bring renewable electricity to 20,000 off-grid customers in Madagascar, Niger, Senegal and Ghana by 2027. Among the projects featured in the organization’s webinar was a series of 27 containerized microgrids developed by Africa GreenTec. The company has brought reliable power, clean water and internet access to more than 61,000 people and 1,000 businesses in remote areas.
GreenTec reported that replacing diesel generators with renewable energy from microgrids enabled business owners to significantly reduce energy costs and increase profits.
Other projects highlighted include those developed by the German Agency for International Cooperation, Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa, Sustainable Energy for All and the World Bank.
Moving forward
In addition to touting the success of their microgrid and minigrid projects, guest speakers also shared insights for how clean, renewable electrification can be scaled across rural Africa.
The speakers recommended microgrid companies create separate entities or partner with other organizations to manage projects effectively, stressed the importance of having a business model that can ensure the long-term viability of these energy solutions and emphasized the need for ongoing technical support and training.
Other notable minigrid projects
At Microgrid Knowledge, we’re tracking multiple microgrid and minigrid projects in Africa. Here’s a rundown of six of the most innovative renewable energy microgrid projects we’ve reported on in recent months.
Minigrids Bring Power to the People Wherever They Are – Even if it’s in the Crater of a Volcano
A new solar minigrid has electrified Chã das Caldeiras, a community of 800 people living in an active volcano in the West African nation of Cabo Verde.
Minigrid Projects to Significantly Expand Access to Electricity in Two African Nations
New minigrid projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia will accelerate access to clean, reliable electricity for rural populations.
Uganda Integrated Energy Minigrid Project Wins Prestigious Award
The Twaake integrated energy minigrid was recognized at the Reuters Global Energy Transition 2024 Awards for its work in delivering economical, clean energy to the community of Kiwumu, Uganda.
Ethiopia and Nigeria Power the Future with Minigrids
Two new solar minigrid projects in sub-Saharan Africa will power Ethiopia’s agrarian economy and 15 Nigerian universities.
An off-grid solar microgrid in Uganda is helping residents of a village obtain free legal services for settling disputes ranging from cow stealing to domestic violence.
United Nations Development Program Advances Zimbabwe Minigrid Initiative
Five potential minigrid sites have been identified as part of the United Nations Development Program’s $1.5 million Energy Offer Project.
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