The German company Kowry Energy is successfully commissioning decentralised solar systems in West Africa. These installations are operational in three countries and provide clean electricity for economic activities.
A new player is entering the West African solar energy market. It is Kowry Energy. The Berlin, Germany-based company has just successfully commissioned off-grid solar systems built simultaneously in three West African countries for the development of the local economy.
The largest solar systems are located in Nigeria. The project is a partnership between Kowry and Proserve Energy Services, a company based in the capital Abuja. The recently commissioned installations consist of two rooftop solar photovoltaic plants, providing electricity to a plastic waste recycling plant and a food processing plant in Abuja. According to Kowry, these two systems with a combined capacity of 286 kWp replace up to 50% and almost 100% of the demand from mainly diesel generators, used in the recycling and food processing units.
Community electrification in Mali
In Mali, the company headed by Ndiarka Mbodji has set up shop in Djiné. In this locality in the south of the country, Kowry has installed a 69 kWp solar power plant to supply the agricultural centre. The plant is coupled with a battery storage system and a back-up generator. In addition to powering 40 businesses and public buildings, the facility provides electricity to 3,000 people in the area, which is considered Mali’s cotton belt. Kowry carried out this project on behalf of the Malian company Access Energie.
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The other off-grid solar system is operational in Bani in southern Senegal. It is a small 10 kWp solar photovoltaic plant coupled with a battery storage system. Built in partnership with Sud Solar Systems, the new facilities provide electricity to two public buildings and seven micro-enterprises.
These systems, commissioned in Mali, Senegal and Nigeria, are “the first of several portfolios in formation in each country, to be completed over the next three years,” says Kowry. In Mali, for example, the company has a portfolio under development of 1.2 MWp. This electricity will be dedicated to the electrification of rural communities. In Ghana and Nigeria, the company wants to develop an installed capacity of 9.6 MWp to supply small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Jean Marie Takouleu
