The key to meeting growing energy demands is having a diverse portfolio of energy sources. Diversifying our resources – coal, natural gas, allows us to deploy innovative ways to generate clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity, while avoiding an over reliance on one fuel source and staying environmentally responsible.

Africa is hungry for energy. Only 24% of sub-Saharan Africans have access to electricity and the energy generation capacity of Africa (excluding South Africa) is only 28 Gigawatts, equal to that of Argentina alone. The demand is only set to rise with increasing population, urbanization and economic productivity. Because of little installed capacity, there is low energy consumption and access.

OUR APPROACH

On-Off grid power Generation plant

Mini-grids

A mini-grid, also sometimes referred to as a micro-grid or isolated grid, is an off-grid system that involves small-scale electricity generation (10 kW to 10MW) and which serves a limited number of consumers via a distribution grid that can operate in isolation from national electricity transmission networks.
Mini-grids can supply electricity to concentrated settlements, including domestic, business and institutional customers, with power at or above grid quality level. Clean energy mini-grids (CEMGs) utilise one or several renewable energies (solar, hydro, wind, biomass) to produce electricity. Back-up power can be supplied by electricity stored in for example batteries or otherwise by diesel.

Stand-alone systems

The second and equally competitive option is to use stand-alone systems. Stand-alone systems are small electricity systems, which are not connected to a central electricity distribution system and provide electricity to individual appliances, homes or small productive uses such as a small business. They thus serve the needs of individual customers, while utilising locally available renewable resources.