Solar & Off-Grid Renewables Africa EAC & SADC is a 2-day high-level conference that aims to support and accelerate the deployment of solar and off-grid renewable energy in Africa, and break down the barriers to development – financial, political, technological – by bringing together key stakeholders, including investors, policy makers, developers, energy companies, financiers, NGOs, manufacturers and suppliers. REDAVIA’s CEO Erwin Spolders will be presenting a case study: Tanzania’s Largest PV Project with a Mining Company as an Off-Taker.

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

• A mass-produced solar farm, providing a complete power service to businesses and communities,
• A scaled-up financing vehicle, enabling risk-mitigated, low-cost solar farm leasing to rural businesses and communities,
• An online operational platform which enables exponential scaling of funders, end-users, and local certified technicians.

The Redavia Academy is the vehicle that will facilitate the exponential scaling of local certified technicians wherever Redavia does business. This exponential scaling of local certified technicians will be achieved by:

1. Creating a strong community of reliable sales agents, installation and maintenance contractors growing as professionals, while promoting Redavia systems in their regions
2. Involving more than 90% of course certified participants in at least one Redavia activity related to their certificate to provide the best customer experience in the countries where Redavia is established.
3. Providing the best local training and skills transfer to develop capabilities in the solar systems area

Erwin Spolders, CEO of Redavia says: “we are pleased to be playing a part in enabling rural electricification in Tanzania to unlock the talents of the Tanzanian workforce.”

As a fast-growing market leader of rental solar power solutions for off-grid businesses and communities in East Africa, Redavia promotes advanced, responsible, and efficient use of solar energy and continually strives for excellence and reliability, outstanding service and flexibility, and unbeatable value-for-money.

To enrol for courses, visit the visit the Academy page under our About section for more information.

About Redavia Solar

Redavia offers remote off-grid businesses reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable solar energy to reduce the cost and emissions of diesel generators through a unique hybrid solar energy alternative. Our mission is to help businesses become environmentally responsible cost-leaders without them having to incur the upfront investment cost of solar adoption.

As the leader of redeployable, rental solar farms in Africa, Redavia uses innovative, modular, and quick-to-deploy solutions. Our flexible rental agreements allow companies to avoid the upfront costs and long term commitments of solar use, and makes solar power a realistic and feasible solution to high energy costs.

Redavia provides a comprehensive solution, from turn-key solar farm installation, maintenance, and complete removal of the farm. For more information, visit  www.redaviasolar.com or follow us on LinkedIn

Press Contact:

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

“The first phase of the Shanta project started two years ago and has delivered according to the original projections.”, explains Spolders.  “Our focus has always been and continues to be, to deliver cost-effective, reliable, & clean solar energy to our clients and we are happy that Shanta is reaping the benefits of employing solar-hybridization technology at their plant in Tanzania”, added Spolders.

Solar hybridization for off-grid mines is becoming more and more prevalent because of the increased awareness and understanding of its benefits which include:

• A more reliable and sustainable energy source
• A reduction in operational costs, fuel consumption and fuel logistics
• A reduction in CO2 emissions which reduces negative environmental impact

“Redavia was awarded the New Luika Gold Mine expansion contract for three key reasons”, explains Toby Bradbury, CEO of Shanta. “Firstly, the company’s technical offer was sound. The Shanta engineers could clearly appreciate the technical benefit of working with Redavia’s redeployable solar farms. Secondly, the experienced team of professionals at Redavia displayed a profound understanding of what we wanted and the challenges we face as an off grid mine. They were able to answer all the questions that we had as well as systematically laying out what the process of expansion would be”, added Bradbury. “Lastly, the commercial offer was competitive and it made clear financial sense to award them the contract. We look forward to our continued work with the Redavia team”, concluded Bradbury.

Facts and figures on the plant expansion project

The new 609 kW plant will produce around 943 950 kWh per year and this is in addition to the 63kW that was installed as a pilot plant in 2014.  The current 63 kW plant produces around 95,750 kWh per year, but once the new plant is up and running, it will produce an estimated 1 040 000 kWh per year.  Below are more technical specs about the capacity of the plant:

• Each year the plant will supply on average more than 1,500 kWh’s per kWp.
• The current estimated fuel saving at the plant is 28 000 liters of fuel per year, which will increase to around 250 000 liters in Phase 2.
• Phase 2 CO₂ savings are estimated at 350 tons per year.

Work on the expansion project has already begun and will continue into 2017.

About Redavia Solar

Redavia offers remote off-grid businesses reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable solar energy to reduce the cost and emissions of diesel generators through a unique hybrid solar energy alternative. Our mission is to help businesses become environmentally responsible cost-leaders without them having to incur the upfront investment cost of solar adoption.

As the leader of redeployable, rental solar farms in Africa, Redavia uses innovative, modular, and quick-to-deploy solutions. Our flexible rental agreements allow companies to avoid the upfront costs and long term commitments of solar use, and makes solar power a realistic and feasible solution to high energy costs.

Redavia provides a comprehensive solution, from turn-key solar farm installation, maintenance, and complete removal of the farm. For more information, visit  www.redaviasolar.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Shanta Mining Company Limited

Shanta Mining Company Limited is a wholly subsidiary of Shanta Gold which is an East Africa-focused gold producer, developer and explorer. It currently has defined ore resources on the New Luika and Singida projects in Tanzania and holds exploration licences over a number of additional properties in the country. Shanta’s flagship New Luika Gold Mine commenced production in 2012 and produced 81,873 ounces in 2015. The Company is admitted to trading on London’s AIM and has approximately 583 million shares in issue. For further information please visit: www.shantagold.com.

For press enquiries, contact:

Angelika Kempf
Phone: +49 89 2426 8869
Email: a.kempf@redaviasolar.com

www.redaviasolar.com

Finalists are invited to present their projects in the Knowledge Exchange Forum (KEF) where after the winner will be announced.  KEF will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday 20 September 2016 at the Hilton hotel and the Director of Sales at Redavia, Manual Duggal will be presenting. Good luck Redavia!

To find out more information about Redavia and the EEP Project in the community space, please email contact@redaviasolar.com