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Nine African sustainable businesses are set to increase their impact on the continent via the PREO grant funding.
- PREO will provide the selected businesses with €1.36m to pilot new models or expand existing business models.
- Most of the businesses selected will help increase agricultural output on the continent.
Nine African sustainable businesses are set to increase their impact on the continent via the PREO (Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities) grant funding. PREO is a productive use of energy programme co-funded by the IKEA Foundation and UK aid. PREO aims to boost clean energy demand to create sustainable jobs, grow economies, reduce poverty and empower women in rural communities on the continent.
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Over the next two years, PREO will provide the selected businesses with €1.36m to pilot new models or expand existing business models. According to Jon Lane, Head of Energy Access at the Carbon Trust (the managers of PREO), “the projects demonstrate a real breakthrough in boosting demand for renewable energy to create sustainable jobs and reduce poverty through economic growth. PREO funding will help accelerate the scale-up of these business models, enabling them to do even more for socio-economic advancement locally.”
The latest round of funding will majorly finance businesses in the agricultural value chain. The recipients of the grant include;
- FRES will deploy a solar mini-grid to power the Sowdjoma shea butter cooperative for hundreds of female farmers in Burkina Faso.
- ClearSky Power will boost agricultural productivity via PV powered drip irrigation system.
- Café Kivu, a coffee manufacturer in the Congo, will deploy a solar-hybrid power plant for bean roasting technology. This technology boost will allow Café Kivu to enter the US, Middle East, and Asian markets.
- KOOLBOKS will pioneer a sustainable cold storage model that improves female fish traders’ economic output and profitability in Lagos, Nigeria.
- PEG Africa will expand its service, including the distribution of solar pumps to vegetable, millet, and groundnut farmers at a pay as you go model in Senegal.
- Bodawerk will pilot the Agr E-Hub, a low-cost, battery-powered multi-purpose tractor that will boost yield and crop value for farmers in Uganda.
- REPARLE intends to scale the circular economy model in refugee and host smallholder farming communities in northern Uganda. The company intends to replace carbon-based fuel with fuel produced from agricultural waste.
- Practical Action Consulting will empower female farmers in rural northern Malawi via the provision of solar drip irrigation system for greenhouses as well as solar refrigeration for produce.
- Zembo Motorcycles intends to deploy battery swap solar stations for electric motorcycles (e-motorcycles). The company plans to expand its network by 120km along the Masaka Road, developing Africa”s first solar-powered, off-grid battery recharging stations corridor.