- DRC, Bboxx and Orange Collaborate on a mini hybrid solar power plant in Bagira.
- This collaboration is part of Bboxx’s Connected Community program.
- According to Bboxx, the new facilities will connect 600 Bukavu households by the end of 2022.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Bboxx and Orange are collaborating to develop a hybrid solar mini-grid power plant in Bagira, in the province of South Kivu. The mini-grid is being built by GoShop, a Goma-based family business and provides power to an Orange telecom tower.
According to Bboxx, the new facilities will connect 600 Bukavu households by the end of 2022. “85% of the power will be generated by solar panels, connecting the local community around the telecoms tower to clean energy solutions and services,” Bboxx stated. The British company intends to work with the National Electrification Agency (ANSER), with whom it is already cooperating to deploy solar home systems.
This collaboration is part of Bboxx’s Connected Community program, under which it plans to provide 750 solar-powered mini-grids to connect at least one million African homes and small businesses over the next five years. The clean energy provider is diversifying on the African continent with this program.
In addition, Bboxx plans to collaborate with Orange Energy to integrate Orange’s smart meter platform and Bboxx Pulse, its fully integrated proprietary operating system. According to the UK firm, combining these technologies will enable close monitoring of mini-grid performance and remote customer management, including payment collection and management via pay-per-use solutions used in the solar home segment.