This lack of energy led to significantly delayed local development when it comes to residential applications (e.g. lights, phone charging, TV), public services (e.g. education, healthcare), service businesses (e.g. shops, restaurants) and productive businesses (e.g. welding, crops processing).

“Electricity gives women like me opportunities to make a contribution to the development of our communities,” said Potfar Hira Mwamlima, resident in Shitunguru.

The REDAVIA minigrid solution includes two solar containers with 89 kWp capacity each, complemented by two integrated lithium–ion energy storage devices (90 kVA / 165 kWh and 60 kVA /138 kWh respectively) to deliver a 24/7 high-quality power supply. As part of the solution, REDAVIA has set up an electricity distribution, metering and mobile payment infrastructure, including 10 km distribution lines each, 1000 energy meters and a payment system to connect households in Isenzanya and Shitunguru. These future-proofed minigrids have been planned and rolled out to enable local growth and to ensure everyone can benefit from electricity in the future.

“We are very proud to be an important component of Tanzania’s rural electrification roadmap, it is amazing to see the immediate positive impact that power has on people’s lives,” stated Erwin Spolders, CEO at REDAVIA. “Our financially viable business model enables the provision of cost-effective, reliable energy for local communities and businesses in the long run.”

Alex Katon, Executive Director at InfraCo Africa comments, “InfraCo Africa’s support for REDAVIA’s deployment of containerized solar power in rural Tanzania demonstrates our commitment to investing in innovative businesses to accelerate access to power.”

About REDAVIA
REDAVIA offers rental solar power for businesses and communities. The REDAVIA system is based on a pre-configured container model, including high-performance solar modules and electrical components. It is easy to ship, set up, scale and redeploy. Businesses and communities benefit from a cost-effective, reliable, clean energy solution without the need for upfront investment or technical skills, supporting the reduction of carbon emissions and increasing the impact on a sustainable society. www.redaviasolar.com

About InfraCo Africa
InfraCo Africa is part of the multilateral Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG). InfraCo Africa seeks to alleviate poverty by mobilizing private investment into infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa’s poorest countries. It addresses the risks and costs of early-stage project development: funding teams of experienced developers and providing risk capital to those projects which need the financial commitment and leverage that InfraCo Africa can bring. www.infracoafrica.com

About PIDG
PIDG encourages and mobilizes private investment in infrastructure in the frontier markets of sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-east Asia, to help promote economic development and combat poverty. Since 2002, PIDG has supported 154 infrastructure projects to financial close and provided 222 million people with access to new or improved infrastructure. PIDG is funded by donors from seven countries (UK, Switzerland, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany) and the World Bank Group. www.pidg.org

Press Contact:

REDAVIA, Angelika Kempf
+49 89 2426 8869
a.kempf@redaviasolar.com

The seven year contract consists of five containers to be manufactured and commissioned by REDAVIA within the next few months. Each container will deliver 87 kWp and comes as a pre-configured, pre-assembled and fully operational solar farm in an easy to deploy ground-mounted, tent-shaped structure. It will connect into the existing energy infrastructure that currently consists of the national grid and supporting diesel generators.

“We have been dependent on diesel generators to supplement an on-grid connection for our campus and this has doubled the cost of electricity tariffs, putting significant strain on our utility budget,” said Prof. Elvis K. Nyarko, Vice Chancellor of RMU. “We have now turned to REDAVIA rental solar power to help reduce the cost of the electricity tariffs and provide the best possible university setting for our students at an affordable cost.”

Thanks to REDAVIA solar power RMU is expected to experience significant overall reductions in energy consumption and cost, whilst achieving efficiency gains throughout.
The cost for REDAVIA solar power are transparent and affordable, eschewing upfront investment and just basing cost on a monthly rental fee. Once expanded with on-site energy storage, the solar farm will eliminate power grid outages that are currently impacting the University’s operations on a regular basis. In addition, the solar farm also leads to a notable reduction in carbon emissions from a lower consumption of grid power and on-site diesel power. Last but not least, additional cost benefits will stem from net-metering where the solar farm is feeding the electricity surplus back into the national grid.

Over and beyond the solar farm implementation, REDAVIA will also support the introduction and establishment of a new educational track around renewable energy, by setting up a Renewable Energy Institute in collaboration with the RMU in Ghana. REDAVIA’s involvement will see ongoing knowledge transfer and staff support to help build the curriculum and practice lab with the aim to educate and prepare African students for engineering jobs in this sector, ensuring an ongoing sustainable development in Ghana.

“REDAVIA’s decision to enter the Ghanaian market is based on an ambitious strategy and vision of long-term involvement in the country with the aim to open a local office, hire a local team and transfer German knowledge and technology to Ghana,” said Erwin Spolders, CEO at REDAVIA.

Following the initial deployment, the RMU is planning to add energy storage and additional solar containers to their energy mix – now easily scalable – with the aim to become fully grid-independent in the not so distant future. Also, RMU will use the solar farm as a best practice example for other organizations, both within Ghana and within the global World Maritime University structure.

About RMU

The Regional Maritime University (RMU) is an international tertiary institution in Accra, Ghana owned by the Republics of Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia. She attained full university status in October 2007 and was launched as such by John Agyekum Kuffour, former President of the Republic of Ghana. The overall objective for its establishment was to promote regional cooperation in the maritime industry focusing on the training to ensure the sustained growth and development of this industry. The RMU is a branch of the World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden and an affiliate of the University of Ghana in Legon.

Find out more on www.rmu.edu.gh.

About Redavia

REDAVIA offers rental solar power for businesses and communities – with a regional focus on East and West Africa. The REDAVIA system is based on a pre-configured container model, including high-performance solar modules and high-quality electrical components. It is easy to ship, set up, scale and redeploy. Businesses and communities benefit from a cost-effective clean energy solution without the need for upfront investment or technical skills, supporting the reduction of carbon emissions and increasing the impact on a sustainable society.

Find out more on www.redaviasolar.com.

Press Contact:

Angelika Kempf
Marketing & Communications Director
Redavia GmbH
Phone +49 89 2426 8869
Email a.kempf@redaviasolar.com