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The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved a proposal by the African Development Bank (AfDB) for a $20m senior loan and $1m grant for a green mini-grid programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The AfDB is matching the package, bringing the combined funding to $42m. The loans will finance three pilot solar photovoltaic and battery-powered mini-grids with diesel back-up expected to cost a combined $87m to develop, according to the project documents.

A significant market is emerging across the continent for renewables-based commercial and industrial (C&I) energy projects. In all but a handful of markets, the talk is of a potential that will soon be measured in gigawatts, rather than the usual dozens (at most) of megawatts of an established business. As Kenya-based Astonfield Solar’s chairman Ameet Shah puts it, the technology is still in its early days – as in some cases is the quality of its delivery to clients – but the C&I industry will reach lift-off even before the ‘transformational’ 24-hour storage becomes the norm.

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), on behalf of the Agence Togolaise d’Electrification Rurale et des Energies Renouvelables, has invited bids by 16 November from consultants to carry out an environmental and social study for a hydropower plant and the rural electrification of Sarakawa in the Kara region of northern Togo.

Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US’ Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Rubitec Nigeria Ltd to look at supplying some of its customers using mini-grids. BEDC will identify sites for solar-powered mini-grids within its licence area which will be built by Rubitec. RMI will advise on implementation. The mini-grids will target areas where the grid does not currently extend or where the network is particularly weak.

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.

Fenix International announced this month that it has gained nearly 40,000 customers in the 11 months since it began selling its solar home systems in Zambia. The milestone was reached significantly faster than the company had expected and is one of the first successful large-scale expansions into southern Africa by a pay-as-you-go solar company. Fenix International Zambia managing director John Foye told African Energy that by comparison the company’s main competitor Vitalite had around 15,000 customers, while the other solar suppliers SupaMoto Energy and d.light were much smaller.

Off-grid solar company BBOXX and General Electric (GE) announced the launch of a partnership in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 25 September. BBOXX expanded into the country earlier this year, forming a partnership with Victron Energy to supply larger solar systems to businesses in Goma as well as trialling mini-grids. In June, BBOXX signed an agreement with the government to roll out 300,000-400,000 solar systems over five years.

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.

Zola Electric, the brand name of solar start-up Off Grid Electric, announced at the Global Climate Action Summit held in San Francisco on 12-14 September that it will expand into Nigeria in Q4 2018. The company is aiming to supply off-grid solar power using its pay-as-you-go system to 1m households and businesses in the country over the next three years.

Off-grid solar power company Jumeme has released a tender for the supply of solar photovoltaic panels, inverters, cables and metal for the construction of two 1MW solar plants, one in Sumbawanga in the Rukwa region and one in Mpanda in Katavi. The project is being funded by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund. Submissions are due by 4 October 2018. Contact: [email protected]

US-based investment firm Persistent Energy Capital has injected $1m into Zonful Energy, one of Zimbabwe’s fastest-growing off-grid energy companies. The partnership will give Zonful access to Persistent’s technical and advisory support in finance, financial management and information technology (IT). Persistent’s partner company Catalyst is already working with Zonful to build IT infrastructure to support the company’s ambitious growth plans. The has enabled Zonful to unlock a matching grant of $1m from the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF).

UK-based off-grid utility BBOXX announced on 20 August that it has launched a pilot to provide the internet to customers in Rwanda. The company is using Wi-Fi hotspots established through a joint venture with Axiom Networks. Ten fixed hotspots have been established, powered using BBOXX solar systems, which are able to deliver internet in rural areas at 10-20Mbps.

Société Nigérienne d’Electricité has invited expressions of interest by 1 August from consultants to carry out a technical and economic feasibility study for the electrification of 100 rural communities, comprising around 200,000 inhabitants, through the installation of solar photovoltaic or hybrid mini-grids.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has invited expressions of interest by 8 August from eligible consultants to prepare policy, regulations and an enabling framework to promote market-driven green mini-grids. The contract is to be financed from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, which is administered by the African Development Bank, for the Green Mini-Grid (GMG) Country Support Programme.

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has approved a grant for the Ministry of Energy to carry out a feasibility study on expanding energy access to 67 communities in Afram Plains South in Ghana’s Eastern Region. The study will look at energy demand from the communities and design mini-grids to provide them with electricity. USTDA expects construction of the mini-grids to be funded by the Export-Import Bank of the United States and to be built by a US company.