A clean energy company that has been at the forefront of fueling rural electrification since 2008 Husk Power Systems, has announced that it is planning to launch 500 solar mini-grids in Nigeria over the next five years.
The renewable energy firm revealed the plans when it announced the signing of a voluntary commitment with the United Nations to grow its energy market in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The commitment is contained under the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact which represents a global effort to accelerate the uptake of carbon-free electricity as a way of averting the perilous effects of climate change.
The startup, which is presently carrying out operations in Nigeria, Tanzania and India, set an ambitious goal of installing at least 5,000 mini-grids by 2030 and in the process make 1 million connections — half of which will be micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
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Recall that In November last year, Husk launched its first six mini-grids in Nigeria and is looking to have 100 operational within two years. The company is committed to powering households, with emphasis on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and public institutions like health clinics and schools.
The company’s CEO and co-founder Manoj Sinha, said that MSMEs are the engine of economies in Africa and that powering existing small businesses and encouraging the formation of new MSMEs will help to create the type of economic growth and social benefit that carries over to households by creating more opportunity and more jobs.
Sinha said that the firm is now exploring growth opportunities in the western, southern and eastern regions of Africa, while also prioritizing the countries that have a “supportive regulatory environment” like its current markets.
In Nigeria, for example, mini-grid operators are “largely free of permit requirements for either standalone off-grid mini-grids or interconnected mini-grids” he said.
