Fench electricity generation and distribution company ENGIE inaugurated its first Power Corner, a solar powered mini grid in the Zambian village of Chitandika.
This mini-grid will provide energy access to the households, local businesses as well as public service institutions including two schools and the community’s Rural Health Center in the area.
ENGIE’s PowerCorner is expected to encourage entrepreneurs in the village by triggering business opportunities from the productive uses of the electricity supplied such as water pumping for agriculture use or carpentry and welding machines.
In addition to this mini-grid, Engie has electrified many villages across Tanzania and Zambia.With more than 13 mini- grids in operation and more under construction,Engie plans to develop 2 000 mini-grids in Africa by 2025, providing access to renewable,reliable and cost effective energy solutions to 2.5 million people.
Engie also recently announced the expansion of Fenix, its solar home system business. ENGIE Fenix has a huge customer base of around 70,000 in the country, supplying clean lighting and power to over 350,000 people.
The CEO of Engie says, “At Engie, we believe that universal access to electricity is possible in the foreseeable future thanks to a smart combination of national grid extensions, mini-grids and solar home systems, depending on the local characteristics of energy demand. Engie is already present along the whole spectrum of solutions with its subsidiaries PowerCorner and Fenix for off-grid solutions, and utility-scale grid connected generation such as Kathu, our 100 MW concentrated solar power plant in South Africa. Within a constantly changing world, it is Engie’s role to make a cost-efficient zero-carbon transition possible for the benefit of the African population”.
To this date, Fenix has sold over 400 000 solar home systems across Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Benin.