Ndosho, Mugunga and Lac Vert. These are the districts of the city of Goma that will soon be electrified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion in Africa (CEI Africa), an initiative of Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development agency. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Renewable Energy Forum Africa (REFA), which ends this Friday 6 October 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.
It involves a results-based grant (RBF) of just over €3 million that could benefit Nuru, a company that is rolling out solar-powered metropolitan electricity networks in the DRC. Nuru’s project involves the construction of a 3.7 MW solar power plant. The electricity generated will be distributed via a network capable of providing 5,146 connections in underserved communities.
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According to the IEC, “more than 40,000 direct end-users will benefit from improved energy and street lighting services, bringing about transformative change in these vulnerable communities by powering essential services such as drinking water and telecommunications towers, while catalysing new businesses and employment opportunities”. This project will enable Nuru to increase its installed capacity in Goma to 5 MW, with a 150 km distribution network.
A few months ago, Nuru raised $40 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Proparco, the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), E3 Capital and the GAIA Impact Fund. The aim is to set up an installed capacity of 13.7 MW to supply electricity to people and businesses in Goma, Kindu and Bunia.
Jean Marie Takouleu