UK backs 10 clean energy projects across Africa with Ksh.343 million investment

ZE-Gen announced funding for 10 projects that will deploy renewable energy and battery-storage technologies in Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Madagascar and other parts of East Africa.

The projects are intended to provide alternatives to diesel and other fossil-fuel generators while testing the commercial viability of clean energy solutions in real-world settings.

In Kenya, the programme will support clean energy systems for hospitals, while Uganda will receive battery-powered telecommunications infrastructure. In Mozambique, renewable energy will be used to support fishing and cold-chain facilities, while projects in Nigeria will deploy solar power for food storage and processing.

Other initiatives will focus on community electrification in Madagascar and clean energy solutions for small businesses in East Africa.

The latest investments build on UK Government-backed innovation programmes that have supported the development and testing of clean energy technologies for use in African markets.

Among the companies involved is Telford-based battery manufacturer AceOn, which is deploying sodium-ion battery storage systems for telecommunications infrastructure in Uganda.

SHIELD, a University of Oxford spin-out, will support hospitals in Kenya to reduce their reliance on diesel generators, while Gommyr is developing renewable-powered infrastructure for fishing communities in Mozambique.

The projects are supported through the UK Government's Ayrton Fund under the Transforming Energy Access platform and its Global Research and Technology Development portfolio.

The latest funding follows earlier support provided through programmes including ZE-Gen, Energy Catalyst and Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities, which have helped participating companies develop and test their technologies.

Lily Beadle, Programme Director at ZE-Gen, said the projects would help companies move from pilot programmes to larger-scale deployment.

“These ZE-Gen supported projects show how clean energy can power the services and businesses people rely on every day - from hospitals and telecommunications networks to food systems and local enterprises,” Beadle said.

She said UK-backed innovation programmes had helped businesses develop and test alternatives to fossil-fuel generators, adding that the next challenge was to scale the solutions that had proved successful.

“Through the ZE-Gen Scale-up Fund, we are helping innovative companies move from pilot projects to larger-scale deployment,” she said.