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The initiative will explore avenues via electric mobility, agriculture, and community services A UK university is leading a consortium with partners in Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda to boost community access to solar energy in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The new £3.6 million (around $4.5m) Moving IMPACT: Integrated Means to Power Agriculture, Clean Cooking and Transportation project, announced this week, explores how solar mini-grids integrated with electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure can meet agricultural and community energy needs in sub-Saharan Africa, advancing sustainable energy access and local development. Moving IMPACT is led by Imperial College London in collaboration with more than 13 partners from across the university, industry, policy and public sectors. Researchers, clean-tech start-ups to drive solar mini-grids project in SSA The partners include the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) – one of Imperial’s strategic partners, the University of Energy and Natural Resources of Ghana, the University of Rwanda, the Kigali Centre for Collaborative Research in Rwanda, the University of Strathmore in Kenya and the University of Leeds. The project is funded by the UKRI Ayrton Challenge Programme which aims to enable a transformative transition to low-carbon energy systems in developing countries. It promotes equitable partnerships between UK and in-country researchers to ensure projects are locally relevant and impactful. Moving IMPACT brings together researchers from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the Physics Department and the Centre for Environmental Policy. It also involves three of Imperial’s clean-tech startups. Exploring revenue generating potential of solar mini-grids in SSA Study lead Dr Adrià Junyent-Ferré, from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial, said: “Over the past decade, the expansion of Solar Home Systems has brought clean lighting and mobile phone charging to millions of households in Africa, which has made a real impact on people’s everyday lives. “But these systems lack the capacity for higher power uses like electric cooking, so people have little choice but to continue to use non-renewable and unhealthy methods in their homes, such as wood-burning stoves. “We know that solar-powered community-scale mini-grids can address this energy gap, but they are costly and carry development risks. Our project ‘Moving IMPACT’ aims to explore diverse ways for these mini-grids to generate revenue, for example in electric mobility, agriculture, and community services. We believe this could incentivise the development of mini-grids in communities across Africa that are large enough to support socially impactful uses. “This ambition can only be achieved by bringing together a broad spectrum of skills and experience to investigate the issue from every angle, propose a sustainable and cost-effective solution, and implement it practice. I’m delighted that we could bring together such an international and cross-sector team. “I’m pleased that this consortium includes three Imperial alumni who are leading the way in green energy innovation; Chris Baker-Brian at BBOXX Ltd, Richard Mori at Meshpower, and Oytun Babacan at Evotrack.” The project will last for three years starting in January 2025. Frances Wood, UKRI International Director, said: “The Ayrton Challenge Programme demonstrates the power of research and innovation to address critical global challenges. These projects exemplify how equitable, interdisciplinary collaboration can unlock transformative solutions, ensuring a sustainable and inclusive energy future for all.” The university’s presence in Africa In November 2024, Imperial became the first UK university to have a permanent base solely focused on science and technology in Africa. Imperial Global Ghana, based in Accra, launched with a commitment to support hundreds of academics and entrepreneurs in West Africa by strengthening collaboration on research, technology, education and entrepreneurship between West Africa and the UK. The hub builds on Imperial’s established partnerships in the region, including in medical diagnostics, vaccine research, AI and data science, climate science, sustainable cities, and entrepreneurship training. |
