Nairobi — Ten clean energy projects across eight African countries are set to receive more than £2 million to expand renewable energy solutions in healthcare, telecommunications, agriculture, fishing and small businesses.
The projects, supported by the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund through the Transforming Energy Access platform, are aimed at replacing fossil-fuel generators with cleaner and more reliable power systems.
The projects are being implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Nigeria, Mozambique and Lesotho.
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They include clean energy systems for hospitals in Kenya, battery-powered telecommunications infrastructure in Uganda, renewable-powered fishing and cold-chain hubs in Mozambique, solar-powered food storage and processing facilities in Nigeria and community electrification projects in Madagascar.
The portfolio also includes UK and African companies that have previously developed and tested clean energy technologies through programmes such as ZE-Gen, Energy Catalyst and Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities.
Lily Beadle, Programme Director at ZE-Gen, said the projects demonstrate how clean energy can support essential services and businesses.
“These ZE-Gen supported projects show how clean energy can power the services and businesses people rely on every day – from hospitals and telecommunications networks to food systems and local enterprises,” Beadle said.
She said the next challenge was to scale technologies that have already proven successful during pilot stages.
“Through the ZE-Gen Scale-up Fund, we are helping innovative companies move from pilot projects to larger-scale deployment, creating new opportunities for investment while delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy where it is needed most,” she said.
In Kenya, Acele Africa will deploy locally designed and assembled modular battery systems for healthcare facilities, schools and small businesses in areas with unreliable grid power.
The project, known as the Beyond-Zero Project, will focus on energy storage systems that can be repaired locally and expanded as demand grows.Acele Africa CEO Joseph Mungai said reliable energy storage would be critical to Africa’s energy transition.
“The next chapter of Africa’s energy story will be shaped by how intelligently we generate, store and use power,” Mungai said.
The University of Oxford spin-out SHIELD will also help hospitals in Kenya transition from diesel generators to solar and battery systems through an innovative financing model.
The project will initially target a major Kenyan hospital and explore ways of reducing energy costs while attracting additional investment.
In Uganda, Telford-based AceOn will deploy battery-first energy systems, including sodium-ion battery technology, across telecommunications infrastructure, healthcare facilities and humanitarian sites.
AceOn co-founder and CEO Mark Thompson said the project would provide an opportunity to deploy UK-developed technology in Africa.
“Every unit we deploy in Africa pulls through British engineering, design and manufacturing. This is UK innovation from our Telford base earning its place in a fast-growing market, and building a genuine, lasting partnership between the UK and Uganda,” Thompson said.
Rwanda’s SLS Energy will repurpose end-of-life electric vehicle batteries to provide second-life energy storage for telecom towers, healthcare facilities and businesses.
In Tanzania and Uganda, Simusolar will deploy financed solar systems for rural businesses, including shops, restaurants and agricultural processors.
In Nigeria, Farm Warehouse will deploy 100 solar-powered cold storage systems across major markets to help fish, meat and dairy vendors reduce spoilage.
KAMIM Technologies will establish four solar-powered agricultural hubs combining irrigation, cold storage, ice production and grain processing.
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The hubs are intended to help farmers and traders reduce post-harvest losses and improve access to markets without relying on diesel-powered equipment.
In Mozambique, Gommyr will establish renewable-powered fishing hubs using solar power, battery storage and cold-chain technologies to help fishing communities preserve catches and access higher-value markets.
Madagascar-based Nanoé will expand and interconnect solar nano-grids to provide electricity to rural households and businesses, while reducing reliance on diesel generators.
In Lesotho, Vittoria Technology will pilot modular and repairable battery systems at operational mini-grids to reduce reliance on backup diesel generators.
The projects cover healthcare, telecommunications, agriculture and food systems, fisheries, rural electrification, small businesses, humanitarian operations and mini-grids.