AceOn: Off-grid Battery Storage for Nigeria
Transforming Communities with Reliable, Affordable Clean Energy
Vision
AceOn is a UK-based energy storage innovator with over 30 years of expertise in battery technology and renewable energy.
Since 2021, the company has made significant strides delivering clean energy solutions to underserved communities in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria. Its innovative use of sodium-ion (salt) batteries, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, and second-life battery integration reflects the company’s commitment to sustainability, circularity, and affordability.
By repurposing batteries from electric vehicles and other sources, AceOn extends the lifecycle of valuable materials, reduces electronic waste, and lowers the cost of clean energy. These portable and modular systems enable households, schools, and businesses to operate essential appliances without relying on costly and polluting diesel generators.
The Challenge
Despite recent progress, Nigeria still faces a significant electricity access gap. As of 2025, approximately 92 million Nigerians, 38%-40% of the population, lack access to electricity. Even in areas with grid connections, power supply is often unreliable, with frequent blackouts disrupting daily life and economic activity.
To cope with unreliable energy supply, many households and businesses rely on diesel generators, which are expensive to purchase and operate, contributing to energy poverty. They also emit harmful pollutants, including carbon monoxide and particulate matter, which are linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation, household air pollution caused by cooking and heating with polluting and inefficient fuels and technologies disproportionately impacts women and children who are at particular risk due to greater exposure in the household. Together, ambient and household air pollution are responsible for nearly 7 million premature deaths each year, more than 10% of all global deaths. Clean energy alternatives are therefore not only a matter of environmental sustainability but also of public health and gender equity.
AceOn’s Innovative Solution
AceOn’s Portable Energy Storage (PES) units and trailer-mounted HIGHESS systems offer a clean, cost-effective alternative to diesel generators. These modular systems combine solar PV with swappable battery packs – either first-life lithium-ion or sodium-ion, or second-life EV batteries – delivering flexible, reliable power to off-grid and weak-grid communities.
Key features include:
- Swappable battery integration for extended lifecycle and reduced waste
- Trailer-mounted mobility for deployment in remote or disaster-affected areas
- Plug-and-play design requiring no technical expertise to operate
- Compatibility with solar PV for sustainable, off-grid generation
Through Project HIGHESS, AceOn is deploying a 215kWh mobile energy storage unit in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross. This initiative will support humanitarian energy needs while validating system performance in real-world conditions.
Real-World Impact
AceOn’s systems are already delivering measurable benefits in Nigerian communities:
- Improved reliability: Enabling longer operational hours for homes, clinics, and businesses
- Reduced diesel dependency: Lowering fuel costs and emissions
- Lower energy bills: Offering affordable alternatives to generator-based power
- Cleaner air: Reducing exposure to harmful pollutants, especially indoors
- Lower carbon footprint: Through clean generation and battery reuse
- Greater inclusion: Supporting energy access for people with disabilities through low-maintenance, user-friendly design and reliable, affordable energy supply supporting greater independence, inclusion and quality of life
These solutions are designed for scalability and replicability, supporting Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals. With support from the Energy Catalyst programme, AceOn has moved from concept to deployment, forming strategic partnerships to expand its impact across Nigeria and beyond.
AceOn’s journey has been accelerated by support from the Energy Catalyst programme, which has enabled the company to move from concept and prototyping to validated deployments. With a strong foundation and active collaboration with partners such as the Nigerian Red Cross, AceOn is well-positioned to expand its impact across Nigeria and the wider sub-Saharan African region.