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The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy will release tender documents in April for consultants to assist with a green mini-grid programme. The work is being funded by a grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (Sefa) and comprises two components. The first is to develop an enabling environment and build capacity for mini-grids. This will support new institutional arrangements, market stimulation initiatives for private operators to supply affordable power, the categorisation of mini-grid projects, permiting and concession arrangements, technical standards, tariff models, and the relationship with the grid.

French energy giant Engie claims to have become the market leader in off-grid solar in Africa following the acquisition of Germany’s Mobisol. When the transaction closes, which is expected in October, Mobisol will join solar home system company Fenix International and mini-grid developer PowerCorner under the umbrella of Engie’s distributed power business. The company has been aggressively targeting the market with the intention of being able to provide the full range of electrification options to emerging countries.

US solar developer Renewvia Energy Corporation has teamed up with Singapore-based renewable energy investor Dream Projects Incubators (DPI) to develop solar micro-grids in Kenya and Nigeria. On 17 March, the two companies announced the formation of a special purpose entity to capitalise large portfolios of solar micro-grid projects in sub-Saharan Africa. The first ten projects have received capital support from the French Development Bank and the World Bank, according to the partners.

US-based solar developer Renewvia Energy Corporation announced on 21 September that its first two micro-grid facilities are up and running on the Islands of Ndeda and Ringiti in Kenya’s Lake Victoria region. The solar-battery micro-grids, which have a total system capacity of 30kW, are the first source of sustainable power supply available to the nearly 10,000 residents and businesses of the two islands.

Solar off-grid company Distributed Power Africa (DPA) has announced the signing of a contract with solar PV panels and components manufacturer Canadian Solar for the supply of PV technology to be used in hybrid products for the African market. The deal is expected to help DPA, part of the Econet Group, to provide panels with a combined capacity of 25MW to clients across mostly Southern Africa for large industrial sites, the company said.

Investors led by Japan’s Marubeni Corporation have made a $26m investment in UK pay-as-you-go solar company Azuri Technologies. Azuri, which has offices in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, said the capital infusion would enable it to accelerate expansion in existing sub-Saharan Africa markets and roll out its solar lighting, TV and additional services into new markets. Azuri has sold more than 150,000 solar home systems and has adopted a comparatively cautious approach to building its business.

Off-grid solar company BBOXX announced on 13 January that Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), part of Old Mutual Alternative Investments, has agreed an investment of $31m to acquire a minority stake in BBOXX’s operating companies in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Rwanda. The investment was made by AIIM’s African Infrastructure Investment Fund 3 and will allow the BBOXX companies to install 2m solar systems by 2022. AIIM chief executive Jurie Swart said the deal reflected the maturity of the off-grid sector as well as BBOXX’s ambition.

Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has published a general procurement notice for the development of solar PV plants at multiple locations with combined capacity of 500MW. Zimbabwe has been planning a major renewable power procurement for some time as the country looks to end its long-running energy crisis and reduce reliance on imported power and fuel. Solar PV plants will also help Zimbabwe manage its hydropower resources, which have been hard hit by drought.

The co-founders of US-based residential and commercial solar company SolarCity – now part of Tesla Inc and called Tesla Energy – Lyndon Rive and Peter Rive have joined Zola Electric, the brand name of Off Grid Electric. Lyndon Rive will become Zola’s chairman while Peter Rive will be operational and technology adviser.

The challenge of bringing grid power to poorer and isolated communities is raising serious questions about the efficacy of the massive energy access programmes that have been under way since 2014. These have, at least on paper, connected around 70% of the population to the grid, but mini-grid and solar home system providers argue that many of these customers could be better served using off-grid technologies. They argue that, given a level playing field, mini-grids and solar home systems could provide cheaper power and are better geared to the needs of poorer households.

The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) launched a new programme in September to encourage the use of off-grid and embedded solar photovoltaic technology at commercial and industrial complexes. The scheme, called the Off-Grid and Embedded Solar Market Development and Finance Programme in Nigeria, will receive $30-$50m from the IFC’s own account for investments alongside local financial institutions, IFC spokesperson Ejura Audu told African Energy. DfID is providing $8m of concessional funding to create incentives to stimulate the market and $3m for operational and technical assistance

Investment company Kupanda Holdings, a joint venture between Kupanda Capital and TPG Growth, and the TPG-managed Rise Fund have announced seed investment in off-grid financing platform Nithio Holdings. Nithio aims to use geospatial data and financial expertise to develop off-grid power companies across Africa. Nithio’s sister company through Kupanda Capita, fraym, uses survey and satellite data to provide geospatial and planning products to companies operating in Africa.

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is installing a 0.45MW solar plant at its Willowvale offices in Harare as its sister company Distributed Power Africa (DPA) rolls out $250m of investment to provide solar energy for industrial, commercial and domestic use. The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority granted Econet a 25-year licence in March to construct, own and operate a solar power plant.DPA is part of Cumii Technologies, a subsidiary of the Econet Group.

Off-grid solar companies BBOXX and DC Go announced a partnership on 19 June targeting Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland. Johannesburg-based DC Go is already active in the region and will use BBOXX’s Pulse platform, which integrates system monitoring and payment with service and operations. The pair will particularly target informal settlements in rural and urban areas.

France’s Innovation Energie Développement, the managing entity of the Green Mini Grid (GMG) project in Kenya, has invited expressions of interest from consultants by 30 April to support the Kenya Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in developing the country’s mini-grid sector. The GMG Facility Kenya commenced in 2016 and is funded by the UK Department for International Development and the EU Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund, and implemented by the French Development Agency.