| Work Detail |
The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) has recently inked a significant agreement with Nuru Société par Actions Simplifée Unipersonnelle (Nuru SASU) to accelerate the development of new mini-grids, referred to as metro-grids by Nuru. Under this agreement, BGFA will provide up to EUR 5 million in results-based financing to the project, which is expected to mobilize an additional EUR 28 million in co-financing over the next four years.
Nuru SASU, translating to “light” in Swahili, focuses on delivering clean energy solutions to underserved peri-urban and urban communities in the DRC. Having deployed the country’s first commercial solar-based mini-grid in 2017, Nuru has since delivered over 7,700 MWh of energy through the deployment of four metro-grids.
Jonathan E. Shaw, Co-Founder and CEO of Nuru, expressed gratitude for BGFA’s support, stating, “BGFA’s results-based financing has been instrumental in securing new equity and project financing to develop our new metro-grid in Bunia. Together, we will bring power to over 125,000 people and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 8,000 metric tonnes by the end of the project implementation.”
The BGFA project will facilitate the development and deployment of an 8 MW solar mini-grid in Bunia, the capital of the Ituri province in northeastern DRC. The initiative aims to provide electricity to up to 10,500 residential, commercial, and social institutions, with a focus on electrifying and servicing at least 3,400 small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, the project will supply electricity to critical infrastructure and social institutions, including telecom towers, water treatment and distribution services, schools, and healthcare facilities. The mini-grid is anticipated to deliver up to 14,785 MWh annually, significantly improving the lives of more than 125,000 people in the community.
Aleksandra Reskalenko, Programme Officer at Nefco, commented, “By supporting Nuru to further develop and deploy mini-grids in the DRC, we are able to support the scale-up of electricity access to people living in peri-urban areas, thereby supporting social development, economic growth, and the green transition in Northern DRC.”
The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa has contracted three companies in the DRC to date, forming part of its portfolio of 29 companies across Burkina Faso, the DRC, Liberia, Uganda, and Zambia. Upon implementation, the current program portfolio has the potential to reach more than 8.6 million people across these five countries. The BGFA funding window in the DRC is financed by Sweden. |
