- Beyond the Grid for Africa (BGFA) programme is selecting two companies to receive a grant for the installation of solar home systems.
- The grant will help electrify 1.8 million people in Uganda.
The outcomes of the appeal for Ugandan electrification projects from Beyond the Grid for Africa (BGFA) are in. The BGFA has chosen Engie Energy Access Uganda, a subsidiary of the French energy corporation Engie, and d.light Design Uganda, a business based in San Francisco, California, in the United States. As a result, the AFMO will provide $5.2 million in performance-based awards to these two solar home system suppliers.
Since 2016, its Ugandan subsidiary has operated in rural areas. The company, which says it has already sold 25 million products, mainly sells solar-powered lamps, homes, TVs, radios, and smartphones. D.light uses the pay-as-you-go concept, prevalent in Africa’s solar home systems market, for its operations. And with the grant from the BGFA, d.light’s Ugandan subsidiary plans to install 200,000 solar home systems in Uganda.
For its part, Engie Energy Access plans to install 170,000 solar home systems over the next four years. In addition to distributing solar systems and other kits, including radios and televisions, the company is installing solar mini-grids in other African countries. Under the AFMO programme, the company, led by Gillian-Alexandre Huart, is expected to provide access to electricity for 800 000 people in Uganda.
The AFMO is run by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), an institution with many donors. Since 2019, the AFMO has been carrying out a $107 million program to support sub-Saharan Africa’s access to electricity from renewable sources. Liberia, Zambia, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo also have the program in place (DRC).