Portfolio

Pay-N-Pump 2, storage integration for home and institutional energy access, and improved irrigation impact

Smart Villages Research Group Ltd (Lead), Aptech Africa Ltd

Uganda

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Mid

9

PAY-N-PUMP is an innovative smart digital pay-as-you-go water-pumping and irrigation solution for small scale farmers in Uganda, built in a push-cart format, developed by Aptech Africa Ltd in an Energy Catalyst 7 project, in partnership with Smart Villages Research Group.

This project will seek to modify the Pay-N-Pump technology to include modern, reliable Li-Ion battery storage to both enhance irrigation performance to better match market-demand, and simultaneously to make the system dual-use, so that it can both provide farm irrigation and also household or institutional energy access.

On-shoring Li-Ion battery manufacturing for PAYG productive use in Kenya 

4Rdigital Limited (Lead), Davis & Shirtliff

Kenya

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Mid

9

Many productive uses can be made of clean-energy products in SSA that increase incomes while reducing carbon emissions and pollution. To be useful and affordable to low-income communities and micro-small businesses, these products require high-quality Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries and the vision for this project is for a thriving and high-quality Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery assembly and manufacturing capability in East Africa.

The project targets all aspects of the energy trilemma: increased affordability through cheaper locally assembled battery packs, enhanced security of supply through smarter in-field monitoring and reduced carbon emission through increased battery life and fossil fuel displacement.

Scaling Affordable Minigrids through Expandable 2nd life Batteries (SAMTE) 

Aceleron Limited (Lead), Meshpower Ltd, Vittoria Technology

Rwanda, Uganda

Leave no one behind technologies and business models

Mid

9

ACELERON and partners are challenging the high upfront CAPEX cost of minigrid systems, and the ‘battery barrier’ in which batteries account for up to 30% of minigrid costs, (the single most expensive component) and need regular replacement.

This project will field pilot Vittoria Technology’s innovative, digital battery leasing platform (Storage-as-a-Service) and Aceleron’s scalable 2nd life Li-ion batteries at three MeshPower minigrids in Rwanda and Uganda. This pilot will demonstrate the technical, financial, and social impact benefits of the scalable battery leasing model, and sustainable commercial potential across the continent. 

Floating Instream Tidal and Solar (FITS) Power Plant - Nepal Pilot Project 

Achelous Energy Limited (Lead), Fjr Engineering Consultancy, Nepal Energy Foundation, Women Network For Energy And Environment (Wonee)

Nepal

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Late

9

Acheleous Energy has developed an innovative hybrid technology which couples run-of-river hydrokinetic generation with solar – the Floating Instream Tidal and Solar (FITS) power plant. FITS technology has been specifically optimized for river deployments, and is scalable to enable both energy access and utility scale power generation.

This project will deliver the first fully developed FITS pilot, supplying constant renewable power to an off-grid community in rural Nepal. The electricity supplied will be used to provide lighting and cooking facilities to households in the community, and will additionally power water filtration and pumping equipment, providing access to clean water for drinking and water for agricultural industry.

Solar2Wave: Design of Floating Solar Farms to Overcome Tough Ocean Waves 

Achelous Energy Limited (Lead), Cranfield University, Gerbang Multindo Nusantara, Pt, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (Its), Pattimura University Pt Orela Shipyard

Indonesia

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Early

9

Indonesia has a population of approximately 273m, of which 1.5m still lack access to the energy grid. These people live on remote islands, relying on diesel power generation that is expensive and unreliable.

The Solar2Wave project will carry out a floating photovoltaic (FPV) based innovation to solve the energy access issue of Indonesia’s remote islands. An FPV farm is fully scalable, as it consists of small individual solar panels. Different sizes of FPV farms can be placed along the coastal line of an island and connected to residents. In particular, the Solar2Wave innovation can ensure that FPV panels remain intact from incident ocean waves, and thus provide a sustainable solution. 

By providing energy access to Indonesia’s remote islands, Solar2Wave will bring improvements to the economy, working conditions, education, health services, and hazard resilience. This will be demonstrated through a case study based on a representative island.

AEON - Development of an innovative, floating, dual-energy platform (60kW) for Small Island Developing States 

Aeon Energy Ltd (Lead)Renewable Energy, Maldives Pvt, Ltd, University Of Plymouth

Maldives (island of Ungoofaaru)

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Mid

9

AEON – Development of the next-generation floating hybrid energy platform for island communities

Exploring the feasibility of pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) using seawater in South Africa 

Africa New Energies Limited

South Africa

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Early

9

South Africa’s government has committed to transforming the Energy Sector. A key part of this goal is centered around Renewable Energy investment and a move away from coal, with a target of 17800 MW of electricity to be derived from renewables by 2030. However, for this to be achieved it needs to be accompanied by an effective means of energy storage. 

UK-based Africa New Energies (ANE) Limited, aims to address this current barrier through the initial development of a 11 GWh pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) using seawater as the storage medium, with the potential to be scaled further, seek to overcome legacy challenges to offer a solution that can increase and further demonstrate the viability of seawater-PHES globally.

Once operational from 2025, the proposed solution will deliver significant socio-economic and environmental impacts across South Africa.

EcoCool 

Akreon Technology Ltd (Lead), Aveno Technology Ltd

Nigeria

Sustainable cooling

Early

9

The movement of vaccines from the point of production to the point of vaccination is known as the cold chain. The quality of this chain determines the preservation of the viability and strength of vaccines. Therefore, the temperature of the chiller must be optimal. In developing nations, this is not always possible because conventional coolers are powered by electricity and the electric power generation in Sub-Saharan Africa is inadequate.

EcoCool manufactures and supplies thermal-protective packing materials for cool chain reliability. It is portable, thus making mobility seamless. The implication of this is that everyone in the most primitive environment can get vaccinated without any worry about the storage temperature of the vaccines. 

Besides the medical logistics of vaccination, EcoCool plays a significant role in bringing solutions to the adverse effects of gas emissions on the environment as it relies on renewable energy for power supply.

Off-grid modular cold rooms and pre-coolers for remote and dry areas in Ethiopia

Aston University (Lead), Jimma University, Kinder Energy Limited

Ethiopia

Sustainable cooling

Early

9

This project seeks to resolve the sustainable cooling challenge by applying innovative technology to evaporative cooling, operating it at a low cost via renewable energies, and provide economically viable, scalable alternatives to the harmful secondhand refrigeration system market.

Aston University will achieve this by utilising a green refrigeration technology driven by solar heat, and an eco-friendly hybrid PV/vertical axis wind turbine from (Kinder Energy) to maintain the system’s operation via small electric batteries. The heat will be stored in the soil to affordably maintain the operation of the technology. Additionally, we will develop sustainable business models to enable the uptake of the technology, and a techno-economic model for the technology for community use via, for example, a pay-as-you-go scheme.

The developed system will secure the cooling and enable smallholder and women farmers to increase sales volume at desired prices, minimising food wastage. It will promote sustainable economic growth and encourage the technology developer (Kinder Energy) to create jobs and empower women farmers.

Hybrid Energy Powered Smart Irrigation System for Smallholder Farmers 

Aston University (Lead), Bahauddin Zakariya University, E-Works, Effitech Limited, Mirpur University Of Science And Technology, Sawie

Pakistan

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Early

9

Water scarcity already affects every continent, and the problem is more prominent in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Access to sustainable and cost-effective irrigation systems is key to many small-scale farmers in order to sustain their livelihoods and food security. Running an irrigation system is still extremely challenging. There is still no electricity grid-extension in many rural areas in many developing countries, and farmers have to resort to diesel-based pumping systems. These systems create high operating costs, often experience service gaps, contribute to GHG emissions, and contribute to the energy bill in countries that do not produce such fuels.

This project aims to design, develop and demonstrate a novel “smart irrigation system” powered by “solar and wind energy” simultaneously. This technology is cost effective, and efficient, with no running cost, and zero emission. This will provide energy access to small-scale farmers for irrigation of food and cash crops, and results in an increase in their earnings.

Solar-hydrogen microgrid with dedicated fresh-water production for Bandjoun, Cameroon 

B.P.P, Universo, Bandjoun Local Authorities

Cameroon

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Early

9

The conversion of the large solar energy resource into clean Hydrogen (H2) fuel and fresh water, offers accessible clean energy solutions for the world’s least developed regions. This significantly impacts gender equality and social inclusion since the collection of wood for cooking fuel and water collection is a burden on women in these societies. 

This project aims to develop an innovative energy solution for urban areas in Africa characterised by abundant solar energy. The system will integrate modular technologies and a ‘Plug & Play’ approach to Green H2 and clean water production using intermittent solar power sources.

This project is conducted in collaboration with the solar energy company Universo, based in Bandjoun, Cameroon and the local authorities of Bandjoun to demonstrate a clear example application.

BioGas MicroGrid in a box (BGMG) 

Cage Technologies Ltd (Ctl), Oaktec, Sistema Bio, Sutton Power Engineering

Kenya

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Mid

9

BioGas MicroGrid in a box (BGMG) partners include collaborators of the highly successful Energy Catalyst WEGEN project. The partners will develop an intelligent energy management platform to integrate, manage and distribute the bio/solar/wind energy inputs based on a development of the existing CTL/OakTec intelligent control platform. Additional outputs will be an application of the WEGEN biogas engine technology to a new modular liquid cooled engine family that will allow a range of power outputs, delivering world leading fuel efficiency and low emissions.

BGMG (Bio Gas Micro Grid in a box) will develop a hybrid renewable energy hub for deployment in off grid communities. It combines solar, wind and biogas energy resources in one drop-in containerised unit with electrical energy stored and deployed from batteries and waste heat recovered for local utilisation. Applications include stand-alone power for large food and agricultural businesses, villages, schools, hospitals and health-centres and public buildings. Bio-waste from the immediate location including food can be used in the feedstock.

Mobile Industrial Solar Platform (MISP) - Scalable and portable solar generation (60kW - 10MW) bringing industrial-scale levelised cost of electricity for last mile electrification 

Cambridge Energy Partners Ltd, Kowry, Ben-Yeleen

Mali

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Mid

9

An 18-month industrial research program delivered by Cambridge Energy Partners who will develop a scalable and portable solar generator solution (60kWp – 10MW) that delivers industrial-scale levelised cost of electricity for last-mile electrification in sub-Sahara Africa.

Fully fabricated in our state-of-the-art semi-autonomous production facility, the affordable and simple to deploy solution, which can be remotely managed, takes a holistic approach, optimising efficiency at every stage of the lifecycle. Through our partners on the ground, Kowry and Ben-Yeleen, we will provide real world evidence of the product’s capabilities and its industry-leading levelised cost of electricity through a demonstration in rural Mali.

Rice-straw powered biowaste to energy 

Carnot, Pyrogenesys, Straw Innovations

Indonesia

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Mid 

9

This consortium, let by Carnot Ltd, seeks to develop the world’s first profitable rice-straw bioenergy demonstrator for a rural community in Lombok Island, Indonesia. Straw Innovations has created innovative technology that overcomes the barriers to harvesting it in all weathers, unlocking a potential 300Mt of rice straw generated in Asia every year.

PyroGenesys have developed a lower-temperature pyrolysis process which can convert rice straw into Biochar, a carbon-sequestering fertiliser that can be used by the rice farmers, and biofuel. The carbon sequestered can be traded on carbon removal markets. Surplus biofuel not used to generate electricity can be sold. Electricity is a low-value commodity and renewable electricity projects will typically require very large scale to be profitable and attract funding required from investors. PyroGenesys’ process solves this problem by opening up two very high-value revenue streams.

Carnot is developing ceramic engine gensets with double the efficiency of state-of-the-art diesel gensets, capable of operating on all fuels. These will provide electricity to the rice mills as their base load as well as electricity to a rural community. Integrating Carnot’s gensets enables revenues generated by biofuel sales to be maximised.

Solar Battery Hub 

Centre For Energy Equality Ltd (Lead), Pam Africa Green Power Generation Company Ltd.

Nigeria

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Early 

9

There is a major challenge in making electricity accessible in off-grid communities in Nigeria. While connected microgrid solutions have great potential, there is a real need for flexible and rapidly deployable solutions that can enable productive and transient electricity users to access affordable electricity.

The Solar Battery Hub will consist of a small solar array, connected to batteries of various sizes and capacities. This will enable productive energy users such as schools, medical centres, and market stall operators to rent the batteries and take only the energy they need when they need it. This will reduce the overall cost burden of investing in fully connected micro-grid systems, which are often unaffordable or take a long time to get up and running.

During this project, we shall develop and refine a design for the solution based on extensive market research, including direct engagement with rural communities in Nigeria. We shall then test and demonstrate the solution on a small scale to seek feedback and inform future developments.

Feasibility study of a disruptive low-cost and low-maintenance electrical machine technology for industrial drives and grid-connected energy storage systems

Cepower Ltd (Lead, University Of East Anglia

South Africa

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Early

9

This project will assess the feasibility of a newly configured induction motor technology with brushless rotor design for use in industrial variable speed drive (VSD) applications including grid-connected flywheel energy storage drives. It offers substantial reductions, projected to be over 25%, in the system capital cost as compared to conventional VSD technologies by utilising a fractional-size frequency converter. It hence enables a far greater proportion of motor applications to benefit from the energy efficiency and improved environmental impact of VSDs.

The core technology has been progressively developed in computer simulation and small-scale laboratory prototypes and the aim of this project is to prove the technology feasibility on a credible-sized experimental prototype VSD system and to assess its economics and benefits for industrial VSD applications

HydroWheel Product and Business Case Development 

Challenges Catalyst Ltd (Lead), Centre For Research In Energy And Energy Conservation (Creec), Fluvial Bounty C.I.C., Hydrowheel Ltd

Uganda

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Early

9

Floating across rivers and streams to generate affordable, accessible renewable energy with less damage to the local ecosystem, HydroWheel is the world’s first inflatable waterwheel. It emphasises lower costs, durability, easy installation and continuous power production. The innovation’s commercial and impact potential in sub-Saharan Africa is further enhanced by the region’s abundant hydro resources, where the installed capacity is estimated at 30.4 GW; 300 GW potential remains untapped.

This project will determine how HydroWheel can commercialise and optimise the design of its innovation to provide an alternative (or complementary) technology to incumbent renewable energy technologies (including conventional pico-hydro, solar PV, and diesel generators) and ultimately satisfy the electricity needs of under-served communities throughout SSA (starting with Uganda).

Predictive Analytics for Due Diligence - PADD 

Charm Impact Ltd

Nigeria

Leave no one behind technologies and business models

Early

9

Today 770 million people live without access to electricity and 2.5 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities. Achieving full electricity access by 2030 requires annual investment of just over USD 35 billion, or only 2% of current global energy investment.

However, current investments in power access are well below this. Without additional sources of funding, clean energy start-ups and companies working in emerging economies will not have the capital to scale their businesses for improved energy access, reduced carbon emissions and improved gender equality and social inclusion.

Charm Impact, an early stage debt provider for locally owned, clean energy companies in emerging economies, is executing a feasibility study to research the ability to develop an intuitive credit scoring process using predictive analytics.

"Green" Tea: creating clean heat and power with biomass residues and gasification technology to future-proof your cuppa. 

The Grass Company (Tgc), Consultative Group Of International Agricultural Research-International Institute Of Tropical Agriculture (Cgiar-Iita)

Kenya 

Low carbon hydrogen

Early

9

Our vision for this project is to strengthen the financial, environmental and societal viability of Kenya’s tea sector through decentralised electricity and heat generation from crop residues, enabling lower costs, emissions and fuelwood use, and higher reliability.

The consortium brings together Compact Syngas Solutions (CSS) gasification technology provider and the expertise, knowledge and skills in Kenyan tea agriculture, energy sector from the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research-International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (CGIAR-IITA) and The Grass Company (TGC).

The key objectives of this feasibility project is to prove to the Kenyan tea supply-chain through operational and financial data and stakeholder engagement that gasification technology is key to an affordable, efficient and reliable energy source for the production of tea that also is better for the environment.

Ghana GOALs - Generation, Operation, and Access to Energy, at Lowest carbon and cost solutions 

Consortio Limited (Lead), E.E.K Consults & Electricals Ltd, Ibeccs Ltd, Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology - Kumasi Ghana

Ghana

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Mid

9

The Ghana GOALs project with Ghanaian partners KNUST and EEK, will create self-sustaining smart energy communities with access to clean renewable energy and innovative cooking technology, resulting in improved air quality and better working conditions, especially for women and girls.

Ghana GOALs will test a new concept for modern cooking, reducing the reliance on foraged firewood and kerosene. This will be combined with the creation of electrical microgrids, using solar photovoltaic panels (PV) and storing energy overnight in batteries. These will be trialled at selected secondary high schools and in an off-grid community to evaluate different business models for replication.

A high-power solar e-cooker: accelerating the transition to inclusive e-cooking in sub-Saharan Africa 

Coventry University (Lead), Meshpower Ltd, Rwanda Energy Group

Rwanda

Modern cooking

Early

9

In Rwanda, 1.9 million households still rely on wood and charcoal for cooking. To address the massive health problems caused by indoor air pollution, Rwanda has prioritised a clean cooking program aiming to provide new or improved access to clean cooking solutions to 500,000 households by 2026.

To address this need, this project will bring together energy poor households with academic researchers, consultants in cook stove monitoring, a solar energy company and Rwanda’s regional energy provider. Together, they will co-design a new highly marketable low-carbon, clean and affordable solar e-cooking system by integrating existing solar products to arrive at a new whole system design.

This project will be a starting point in giving communities the confidence to use e-cooking appliances and make purchasing decisions around off-grid solar e-cooking. By working towards establishing a solar e-cooking eco-system, SMEs and financiers will be encouraged to increase investment in producing solar e-cooking products, and governments will be able to provide more targeted support for solar e-cooking to achieve their clean cooking targets.

Sustainable cooling hub for small-scale fisheries in Indonesia 

Cranfield University (Lead), Environmental Process Systems Ltd, Pt Selaras Mandiri Tehnik, Politeknik Negeri Bali

Indonesia

Sustainable cooling

Early

9

Small-scale fishers in Indonesia’s coastal communities lack access to the technology and resources required to preserve their catch from their rural locations to the markets. This results in up to 35% of seafood pre-consumption lost. Thus, access to cold chain technology is vital to mitigate this problem.

This project aims to design a sustainable cooling hub that can cover cooling services in small-scale fisheries. The hub will maximise the renewable energy potential through solar energy utilisation and energy storage.

The optimal design will consider the technical, financial, and environmental performance, ensuring an efficient, affordable, and clean cooling solution. This will significantly improve energy access to households in most small-scale fishing villages.

Angaza Africa - Harnessing solar and wind power to provide sustainable energy access in rural Kenya 

Angaza Africa, Glasgow Caledonian University, E-Safiri Charging

Kenya

Leave no one behind technologies and business models

Early

9

Creating sustainable economic growth and education in rural Africa requires zero carbon energy in local areas. However, the majority of current propositions are either expensive, complex, fragile or hard to deploy. Angaza Africa will show a different way. 

Utilising a portable hybrid system, combining solar, wind and battery developed at Glasgow Caledonian University and a citizen-based business model led by E-Safiri Charging in Kenya, Angaza Africa will demonstrate a new way of creating power. Innovate UK funding will enable a partnership between UK academia and small-scale rural industry in Kenya that will transform the lives of people in a sustainable way.

SAMGRIST - Samoa Grid Stabilisation 

Dpsun Limited (Lead), Global Green Growth Institute

Samoa 

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Early

9

Close to 60 percent of the Samoa’s electricity supply is now being produced by renewable sources. However, the amount of energy from solar panels is currently being restricted on the main grid on Upolu due to grid stabilization issues. 

There is an opportunity for an innovative business model where the utility engages a private entity to install and operate the batteries. This model would be the first of a kind in the Pacific and would harness private sector expertise, decrease investment for the Government owned utility, promote competition in the market for DER, and be the first step in moving towards a dynamic electricity system that is capable of supporting two-way power flow.

In this project, a private entity would be competitively procured by the national utility in Samoa, to finance, install, operate and maintain the distributed batteries across the network. The private entity will charge and discharge the batteries based on the provisions set out in the contract which will be designed to stabilise and optimise the grid. The utility company will pay the private entity overtime with revenue collected from customers.

Passive Air Cooling (cool-earth) 

Electro Mechanical Developments Limited (Lead), Ashbod Engineering Services Limited, Home Science Association, Saroko Technologies Limited

Nigeria

Sustainable cooling

Early

9

Cool-Earth is an innovative application of an ancient practice for cooling water in rural sub-Saharan Africa, based on evaporative cooling. 

This project demonstrates the technical feasibility report validated with an aesthetic model and a technical design of an optimised evaporative cooling system validated by an instrumented demonstrator that will facilitate a refined concept with commercially relevant ancillaries.

SPITFIRE: Self-Powered Biomass Stove For Remote Communities 

European Thermodynamics Limited (Lead), Emerging Cooking Solutions (Zambia) Limited, Emerging Cooking Solutions Sweden Ab, Zemission Ab

Zambia

Modern cooking

Mid

9

The SPITFIRE stove will address both the need for clean cooking solutions and the lack of access to electricity. This will be achieved by developing an affordable, low-emission, biomass-pellet-burning clean cookstove that generates a no-added-fuel electricity surplus.

The SPITFIRE project ultimately aims to deliver a final stove design, assemble 30 demonstrator products, and validate stove performance in field trials within institutional kitchens in public services and local enterprises such as restaurants, schools, and orphanages, in our primary target market, Zambia.

Sunsafe II 

Evonet Energy Ltd (Lead), Gamos East Africa, Intelligent Technologies Ltd., Strathmore University, The Institution Of Engineering And Technology

Kenya

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Early

9

Given unmet electricity needs in Kenya, there is a large market for solar PV systems, even as the grid expands. These systems fall into two categories: component-based solar systems (CBSS) or plug-and-play systems (PPS). Plug-and-play systems are pre-assembled solar home systems (SHS), while CBS is sold as separate components, which are assembled on-site by technicians into SHS.

CBSS is often preferred by consumers due to their load flexibility which allows for higher tiers of electricity access (increased capacity, reliability), more easily than PPS. Unfortunately, limited technical knowledge about the design and installation of solar PV, can render CBSS unreliable or unsafe. This lack of knowledge can result in sub-optimally sized systems or systems sold without key components of system safety and functionality, like charge controllers.

This project addresses the identified knowledge gap by developing a system running on a smartphone that digitizes the selection of CBSS components thus simplifying system sizing in component-based solar photovoltaic systems. It targets electrical retailers and technicians to ensure that the systems they put together for customers are correctly sized and configured, without requiring sizing knowledge.

Cool Mangoes 

Farmer Charlie (Uk), Cool Lions (Côte D'Ivoire)

Côte d'Ivoire

Sustainable cooling

Early

9

The Cool Mangoes project addresses the critical issue of cool storage of horticultural produce in Côte d’Ivoire, lowering waste due to fruit flight attacks and the perishable nature of the product.

Farmer Charlie (UK) and Cool Lions (Côte d’Ivoire) are partnering to develop an optimised digitally informed cooling solution for cooperatives. Containers will be available to cooperatives under a rent-to-own economically efficient model. In turn, cooperatives will then sell cooling capacity to farmers through a cost-effective, pay-as-you-store model. 

The project will validate our innovative cooling-as-a-service solution. On the digital front, containers are equipped with a remote door-lock system and sensors used to measure external temperature and provide a way for “just-in-time” cool storage, which will provide further opportunities for farmers to sell their produces at the best price, later, while lowering the 20-40% post-harvest wastes.

Managing, monitoring, evidencing solar system productivity - REMOT 

Future Earth Ltd (Lead), Greencrowd Partnership Llp, Innovex (U) Ltd

Uganda, Cameroon, Nigeria

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Mid 

9

Future Earth’s Remote Energy Management and Monitoring Technology (REMOT) – digital systems for automatic payment management, real-time performance monitoring, and pre-emptive troubleshooting, can ensure quick and effective system maintenance and system reliability, and provide the data evidence base for solar distributors and development finance institutions to really accelerate the uptake of productive use solar systems.

Matching our hardware innovation, our vision under this IUK competition is to develop:
1. New innovative software capability for primary (solar distribution companies) and secondary (international development finance institutions and insurance company) clients
2. Transformational software-as-a service subscription model to make REMOT even more affordable and accessible
3. Trial the software with existing and new clients to provide the evidence base for a Series A investment raise of $1 million.

Importantly, through the total project we will impact an estimated 74,769 persons and enable 452,600 kWh solar energy generated per year.

Development and Commercialisation of Innovative PAYG Induction Stoves in Africa 

Gamos Limited (Lead), Burn Manufacturing Company

Kenya

Modern cooking

Late

9

BURN is the largest vertically integrated modern cookstove company in the world, providing world class R&D, manufacturing, and carbon offset projects from its HQ in Kenya. BURN produces the world’s most fuel-efficient biomass cookstoves, has sold over 1.4 million units to date and has operations or distribution in over 15 African countries. 

Gamos is partnering with BURN Manufacturing to develop, test, and commercially roll-out BURN’s innovative electric cookstoves in four target markets in Africa, with the goal of building a commercially viable distribution model. Once prototypes are manufactured and tested in-house, a distribution pilot will be launched for the roll-out of the electric cooking line to low-income households in urban and peri-urban communities.

Gasification of agricultural waste streams for the secure cooking gas supply of rural and isolated communities in Pakistan (GAS-SCRIPt) 

Hybrid Gasification Ltd, Durham University UK, Global Engineering and Marketing Pakistan (Gem)

Pakistan

Modern cooking

Early 

9

In response to an unmet need of a low-cost, secure and sustainable supply of cooking-gas to the rural and deprived regions of Pakistan, Hybrid Gasification Ltd UK (HGL) in collaboration with Durham University UK (DU) and Global Engineering and Marketing Pakistan (GEM) are developing a gasification technology ‘GAS-SCRIPt’ which utilises agricultural and household waste as feedstock to produce high calorific value (20MJ per m3) clean cooking syngas (Mixture of H2, CH4, CO and CO2).

Through this 12 month project, the consortium will prove the feasibility of designing, building and testing a 10kg per hr throughput electrically heated pyrolysis system for the gasification of agriculture residues and household waste into syngas and biochar. The plant will be installed and tested at a testing site (Rangeenpur, Lahore, Pakistan) and electricity needs of the GAS-SCRIPt operations will be fully met by solar powered generator.

Cool Efficiency in West Africa 

Inclusive Energy, Focus Energy, Koolboks

Nigeria

Sustainable cooling

Mid

9

Cooling infrastructure – fridges and freezers – are vital for commerce, home use and for preserving medication, vaccinations and food. This project brings together a consortium of companies that seek to solve power supply issues that can arise when using a solar system to power a fridge, including faults on the solar, battery or load sides, tampering, incorrectly sized systems or low energy yield due to poor weather.

This project aims to enable partners Focus Energy and Koolboks to offer higher quality and easier to manage cooling services for customers in West Africa. As well as reacting to faults and issues that have already occurred, this project will investigate and develop a solution to provide predictive maintenance for a range of issues. The project proposes the development of 3 parallel and integrated capabilities: (1) analyse, (2) forecast, (3) mitigate.

Smart Biogas 3: Digesting Data 

Inclusive Energy, Kenya Biogas Program, Biogas Solutions Uganda, University Of Nottingham, Green Impact Technologies (Malawi), Grassroots Energy (India)

Kenya

Modern cooking

Late

9

Smart Biogas (TM) is a patent pending, remote monitoring platform designed to monitor increasing numbers of geographically dispersed household/institutional biogas digesters at minimal cost across the world. Smart Biogas collects data on individual biogas digesters’ performance and usage, allowing detection of potential faults or substandard installation/operation. This data is transmitted to a cloud platform where the data is automatically processed and made intelligible to the user for, example through notifications, to facilitate prompt repairs or further user training.

The project is led by Inclusive Energy Ltd, with support from the biogas sector in East Africa, Kenya Biogas Program and Biogas Solutions Uganda, academic input from the University of Nottingham, and larger scale commercial pilots with Green Impact Technologies (Malawi) and Grassroots Energy (India). Ultimately we seek to address financial barriers and operational inefficiencies enabling viable biogas-as-a-service commercial models, enhancing company operations and providing additional income streams.

Pambegua Project: Rural grid rehabilitation for renewable energy access and C&I 

Industry Capital Advisors UK LLP (Lead), Ecof Kaduna Limited, Energy Company Of The Future Limited

Nigeria

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Late

9

Konexa was created to address the need to develop and invest in electrical distribution networks in Sub-Saharan Africa. Konexa aims to achieve operational efficiencies across its on-grid and off-grid initiatives by implementing and utilising utility system technologies, common systems and processes, and leveraging synergies across infrastructure assets such as call centres, customer service centres and operations and maintenance resources. In addition, Konexa can cross-subsidize the provision of reliable energy to lower-income grid-connected residential customers and off-grid customers with a significant revenue base of these anchor customers.

This project aims to extend our business model into rural areas by leveraging PPAs with rural C&I customers and rehabilitating existing utility assets to serve surrounding communities from our centralised generation site, while serving smaller communities with mesh grids and solar home systems.

Feasibility Study for a Wave Energy Pilot Project in Indonesia 

Ingine Wave Energy Systems Ltd (Lead), Ingine Inc., Pt. Indonesia Power, University Of The Highlands And Islands

Indonesia

Other energy access technology (wave energy)

Early

9

There is a huge potential for ocean energy in Indonesia to generate electricity. The main beneficiaries of planned wave power plants are coastal communities from relatively traditional fishery villages and farms on the coastlines to replace the unstably priced, pollutive diesel generator with clean, affordable and constant wave energy power.

INWAVE is an onshore-type Wave Energy Converter, suitable for shoreline and remote islands, with simple, scalable & sustainable technology. It is competitive with expensive diesel generators.

The object of the proposed feasibility study is to prepare for the feasible construction and commissioning of a Wave Energy Pilot Plant in Nusa Tenggara province, Eastern Indonesia, where renewable energy demand is high. Through appropriate surveys and assessments, the Feasibility Study is expected to yield guidelines concerning significant technical, social, economic, and environmental aspects of the project.

AfTrak - Micro Electric Agriculture for Africa 

International Lead Association (Lead), Loughborough University, Tiyeni

Malawi

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Early

9

The roll-out of grid or micro-grid connections to rural communities is often limited by the expendable income of a community being too low to purchase sufficient energy to be attractive to an infrastructure investor.

The International Lead Association and partners have developed the AfTrak system, a micro electric tractor capable of mechanising land preparation. This low-cost, walk-behind tractor system is powered entirely by solar, has built-in battery storage, can prepare the soil to a depth of 400mm, and provides power for agricultural applications such as water irrigation and domestic applications such as phone charging, electric cooking, and lighting.

AfTrak focuses on providing a significant agricultural revenue boost to pave the way for future energy rollout whilst simultaneously providing community power.

Solar powered heat engine to power tools including electricity generator for rural villages. 

J & K Barnard (Farms) Limited (Lead), Grassroots Uganda Ltd

Uganda

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Early

9

Rural smallholders in developing countries with no mains electricity need an energy source or motor which has a low-cost purchase price and is simple to maintain with village resources.

This project will have a multi-disciplinary team to design innovative solar energy capture to run a small electrical generator, 1Kw, or other equipment. This will have a very low carbon footprint from manufacture to daily use and be sustainable. This will involve next generation solar power. Attention will be given to designs that are low cost, easy to manufacture, require simple production equipment and can be adapted for production in countries with limited engineering manufacturing capability.

The principal output of this feasibility study will be a framework for a project to produce a minimum viable product that can provide torque to generate electricity.

Improving Affordability and Reliability of Energy Access in Uganda with River Turbines 

Kinetic Hydro, Practical Action, The Challenges Group, University Of Leicester,

Uganda

Other energy access technology (hydro-kinetic river turbines)

Early 

9

Hydro-kinetic technology is fundamentally different to conventional hydropower that extracts energy from rivers as they drop through a height, or ‘head’. The emergence of small, efficient, free-stream, hydro-kinetic turbines capable of economically generating electricity from the speed of fast-flowing water is a new development. It uses technology transferred from the offshore tidal energy sector, in which the UK has been a world-leader since it began, about twenty years ago.

This project will research how to deliver sustainable and impactful development projects based on hydro-kinetic turbines for the children, women and men living in Ugandan communities near to suitable rivers. Kinetic Hydro Ltd and partners will be use Uganda as a case study to assess the feasibility of hydro-kinetic river turbines contributing to the acceleration of energy access provision. The country has opportunities and barriers to success that will be representative of (but not the same as) others in sub-Saharan Africa. It has low, but accelerating access to electricity, a poor and widely dispersed rural population, and a network of rivers suited to hydro-kinetic turbines.

Optimising Energy Demand in Rural Communities via Precision Agriculture Technology (SWIFT) 

Lenké Space And Water Solutions Ltd (Lead), Arba Minch University, Crop Health And Protection Limited

Ethiopia

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Early 

9

Due to the high irrigation and related energy load requirements of farmers growing horticulture crops, ability to analyse historical and future irrigation/energy demand is crucial to assess feasibility/develop mini-grids and monitor energy-demand fluctuations during implementation.

This project will upscale SWIFT (Soil Water Index Forecasting Technology) to provide historical and future irrigation demand at 10m HR and 2meter depth via AI powered system and EO aided crop detection method to project energy demand, assess the applicable energy sources mix (hydro/solar/wind) and provided detailed mini-grid design. By producing a technology that will de-risk mini-grid developments via the reliable, affordable and efficient information it supplies, SWIFT will incentivise investors to enter the rural electrification energy market in sub-Sharan countries. 

Electrifying Rural Development in Africa: displacing low-productivity manual labour activities and fossil-fuel generators in off-grid communities via a novel modular inverter design. 

Mobile Power Ltd (Lead), Swansea University

Sierra Leone

Leave no one behind technologies and business models

Early

9

Approximately 1 billion people in Africa do not have reliable access to the electricity grid. The only option to access electricity is through fossil-fuel generators. However, the majority of women farmers are not able to afford generators and so are trapped in being reliant on manual labour, which limits productivity and therefore income. 

Mobile Power supplies affordable, clean power to poor households and enterprises in off-grid communities across Africa using a pay-as-you-go smart battery rental system.

This feasibility project builds on previous Energy Catalyst Projects by focusing on a new product – a modular inverter – that complements the MOPO Batteries and enables off-grid communities to use AC appliances that are powered by affordable, clean energy, without any upfront costs.

Demonstrating a combination of innovative technologies and business models that enable rapid, large-scale deployment of renewable energy infrastructure in low income countries

Modularity Grid Ltd (Lead), Ihs Rwanda Limited, Ihs Towers

Rwanda,South Africa

Leave no one behind technologies and business models

Late

9

Modularity Grid is partnering with two of the largest telecom industry players in Africa, with the end goal of extending access to affordable, reliable and renewable energy to poor communities, while also helping address the urgent need for telecom towers to reduce their energy emissions and costs.

Technical and Societal Innovation for Delivering Access to Community Wide Affordable Cylindered CBG for Cooking and Sustainable Fertiliser 

Natural Synergies Limited (Lead), Brignall Consulting Ltd, Innovision Consulting, Private Limited, Xplore Business Ltd

Bangladesh

Modern cooking

Mid 

9

Natural Synergies Ltd (NS) Industrial Research project “Technical/Societal Innovation for Delivering Community Wide Affordable Cylindered CBG for Cooking and Sustainable Fertiliser” is to establish new data and knowledge, which would eventually lead to establishing a demonstration waste to energy process based around an advanced anaerobic digestion treatment process that has been developed by NS.

NS together with project partners, are involved in a project that concerns advanced pre-treatment and processing of faecal sludge and organic waste, providing enhanced, efficient energy security/generation, utilising locally available resource and GHG emission savings. NS aims in this Industrial Research project, to develop a stand-alone enhanced energy pre-processing technology, for rural and peri-urban locations in developing countries.increasing the efficiency of energy generation for the supply of affordable clean energy, for cooking and transport to the local community, and for the production and supply of a sustainable source of fertiliser to local farmers.

The decentralised and localised waste to energy plant, will also serve as a low cost faecal sludge management system and organic waste treatment facility, preventing the dumping of waste into waterways and land, providing benefits to both the environment and health to the local community. This will lead to establishing a circular economy for waste treatment with close co-operation between the energy plant operator and the local community.

Catalysing Bankability of East African Mini-grids by Integrating Transport Energy Demand 

New Resource Partners (Nrp), Sustainable Transport Africa (Sta), Vai Capital, Knights Energy,

Kenya

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Mid 

9

This project offers the potential to accelerate clean energy access in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa, including for disadvantaged and marginalised groups, and supporting gender equality, by creating new business models for Integrated Mini-grids.

The project directly targets energy access for presently unserved energy users, through rendering rural mini-grids investable, and providing the means (software) for developers and investors to identify portfolios of many such projects, which will positively impact many more villages than presently reached by Kenya’s rural electrification programmes.

In addition to providing energy access, deployment of the business models envisaged will displace reliance on fossil-fired transport energy. In addition static battery energy storage systems will be investigated to help balance the demand for energy in mini-grids with the timing of solar/wind supply. Finally, Demand Side Response (DSR) and other efficient demand management practices will be investigated for their balancing potential.

Developing a smart solar energy platform for families and fleet operators

Open Energy Labs Ltd (Lead), Fam Studio Ltd

Rwanda

Leave no one behind technologies and business models

Early

9

A study carried out in Kenya found that Nearly one-fifth of solar products stopped working within 18 months despite a 25-year predicted lifespan, with the majority of these products, being kept unfixed in the home (Cross and Murray, 2018). Therefore, presenting issues with the maintenance and lifespan of current solar home systems. Individuals unconnected to the grid remain difficult to reach as they’re mainly rural, poor and marginalised.

In this project, Open Energy Labs (UK SME) and Fam Studios (UK Innovation agency), will develop a MVP smartphone application/hardware to support remote/rural users to control, monitor, maintain and expand the functionality of a Solar Home System (SHS). Whilst also developing a strategy to support HE/FE students to become fleet entrepreneurs that can maintain/repair any type/brand of SHS.

Thereby directly lowering the barrier to the uptake of renewable energy technology in Rwanda and sub-Saharan Africa; namely, lowering the skill level required for people to design, install, operate, manage, and maintain household systems.

Enabling new energy infrastructure in underserved regions of Rwanda through the integration of zero-emission vehicle groundwork 

Ox Global Ltd (Lead), Ox Rwanda Ltd

Rwanda

Other energy access technology (transport)

Mid

9

OX-Global Limited (OX) is an award-winning UK start-up automotive company founded by not-for-profit company, Global Vehicle Trust (GVT). In partnership with OX Rwanda Limited (OX-Rwanda) the consortium’s mission is to deliver affordable transport in emerging markets, driving a self-reinforcing cycle of economic growth and social impact. 

In this Industrial Research project, development of the OX-truck, a unique zero-emissions-vehicle (ZEV) will not only
disrupt the existing transport and logistics infrastructure for Rwandans requiring affordable transport for trading agricultural goods, but will also catalyse the start of energy distribution networks installed in rural areas previously deemed uneconomical.

Gravitricity Energy Storage - South Asia Feasibility 

Panitek Power Limited (Lead), Gravitricity Limited

India, Pakistan

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Early 

9

The target markets for this project are India and Pakistan. Electricity demand is expected to treble between now and 2040. The Indian government has the target to have installed over 500GW of solar and wind power by 2030, up from 100GW in 2021.

Gravitricity is a novel technology to store energy by raising and lowering the weights inside a shaft. The design is based on an innovative combination of tensioned wires and a winch structure. An evaluation by Imperial College London, accounting for Gravitricity’s longevity (10-50x higher cycle life than batteries), shows that Gravitricity is more cost effective than other forms of electrical energy storage.

This feasibility project will combine Gravitricity’s technology with Panitek Power’s expertise in bringing sustainable energy solutions to the South Asian market. It will develop a South Asia specific solution through identifying technical, regulatory and market requirements, and then engineering an optimised solution.

"Bee-Smart" - Powerhive's Smart-Grid Software 

Powerhive Inc Uk Limited (Lead),Powerhive East Africa Ltd

Kenya

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Mid 

9

Using advancements in data-analytics and Big Data principles, Powerhive will develop an innovative machine-learning solution (Bee-Smart) that analyses energy production, usage, meterage, community needs, to address challenges through smart insight engine providing social and financial dividends at low-cost to rural communities, agriculture and business, maximising data to ensure low-cost, accessible energy for end-users. Powerhive will provide a SaaS solution, which will be bundled with productive energy use hardware.

This project will aid GMG Energy providers to optimise renewable energy grids to make excess power generation work for local communities using AI-based insights that will give them the ability to redirect energy at off-peak, low-cost rates to provide additional services to communities based on their own needs.

Harvest Cool 

Pyrogenesys, Lavender Fields, Nigeria Agribusiness Group,, Agrolog, University College London

Nigeria

Sustainable cooling

Mid

9

The Harvest Cool project represents stakeholders from farming business, agricultural services, and technology providers who will deliver an integrated energy system to develop a low carbon cold storage system for onions grown in Nigeria. The partnership comprises PyroGenesys (biomass pyrolysis technology); Lavender Fields (agricultural produce aggregator and marketer); the Nigeria Agribusiness Group and Agrolog (agricultural extension services, Nigeria) and University College London (Life Cycle Assessment input).

This project is innovative in bringing together unique engineering designs which address cold storage for transport from the field to a central storage point. It is also innovative in the conception of a business model which considers energy provision; the benefits of food waste reduction; adding value to low income farming communities; and a circular carbon farming system with potential to improve agronomic conditions and carbon sequestration in soils.

Creating a stable grid for local farmers with High-Density Hydro energy storage 

Rheenergise Limited (Lead), Art G&J Ltd, Finnovators

South Africa

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Late

9

RheEnergise has developed a High-Density Hydro energy storage solution. HD-Hydro is conceptually like traditional pumped-hydro. When energy is abundant and low-cost, water is pumped uphill, through pipes (penstock), into an elevated reservoir. When electricity is needed, the water is released, passing through turbines and flowing into the lower reservoir, regenerating electricity in the process.

This project’s vision is to provide efficient, reliable power supply for a collective of apple farmers in the Western Cape (AFWC) in South Africa, by creating a minigrid capable of providing 24/7 renewable power, substantially independent of grid supply. The proposed minigrid comprises solar generation, energy-storage (RheEnergise’s HD-Hydro technology); a Rolls-Royce power-management-system; and a local grid connection.

Hydrogen-empowered Hydro-Electric Grids (HyHEG) 

S&Ao Ltd (Lead), Investingreen Ltd, Jet Engineering Services Ltd, Lucerne University of Applied Science, School Of Engineering and Architecture, Nepal Energy Foundation, Women Network For Energy And Environment (Wonee)

Nepal

Low carbon hydrogen

Mid

9

Across Nepal, micro hydroelectric power (MHP) projects are constructed to provide basic electricity supply to local people. These island microgrid systems are limited in their performance due to their power restrictions which grossly limits electricity harvest and causes much potential energy to go to waste. Power intensive activities such as cooking cannot be covered by electric supply, therefore country-wide biomass is resorted to for cooking. Exposure to smoke from biomass-based cooking is an acute health risk. This is a typical power and energy matching problem with fatal consequences for the population.

This project aims to combat this by introducing Hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and Hydrogen-based cooking. Connected to a micro hydroelectric power station, the Hydrogen generator is able to substantially increase the energy harvest by converting surplus electricity into Hydrogen. The Hydrogen subsequently is supplied to local homes as fuel gas for cooking, thus circumventing electric power limitations. In this way, performance and efficiency of the micro hydroelectric power station are substantially increased, and clean renewable cooking is made possible.

Sharing Renewable Energy Generation through, Mobile Energy Storage (MES) 

Smart Grid Controls Ltd (Lead), Renewable Circle Solutions (Pty) Ltd, University Of Pretoria, University Of York

South Africa

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Early

9

In South Africa, the generation of renewable energy has been encouraged through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme (REIPPP). This programme requires IPPs to allocate 2.5% of their total funding to socio-economic projects. 

This project seeks to test the feasibility of charging a bank of small batteries from solar farms installed by IPPs, then utilising those batteries to provide power to low income/rural households and micro businesses. It is envisaged that the power would be provided free of charge as part of the IPPs social commitment.

The operational model we wish to test is for a social enterprise to manage the distribution of the batteries to households within a prescribed programme. It is envisaged that the batteries would be replaced on a weekly basis. We wish to test the ideal size of battery for this purpose and the most practical arrangements for this, within a dispersed rural community.

Payment-Enforcement Technology and Business Models for High-Impact Borehole Solarisation in Tanzania 

Smart Villages Research Group Ltd (Lead), Aptech Africa Ltd, Orkonerei Maasai Social Initiatives

Tanzania

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Mid

9

In this project, we intend to research and test technology-solutions to integrate into our systems that could remotely disable them in the event of repayment defaults. We will look at alternatives for performing the control function, and how to make them non-bypassable, and then test their performance to revise our business and technology model. If successful, this will remove the single greatest barrier to our ability to scale-up this

African SCENe: Sustainable Community Energy Networks 

Smartklub, Edu-Cater Global, Map Kibera, University of Nottingham, FWD.London

Kenya

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Early

9

African SCENe (Sustainable Community Energy Networks) is a 12-month feasibility study that will enable the characterisation and identification of schools within low-income suburban communities in Nairobi that have the potential to become clean energy hubs through innovative business models. 

Developed in partnership with Edu-Cater Global, Map Kibera, University of Nottingham and FWD. London these energy hubs will be capable of generating, storing and distributing clean energy for the community they serve, accelerating access to adequate, affordable, and reliable renewable energy, whilst enhancing energy awareness and education. The proposed business models will remove the financial and technical burden from the schools.

This project aims to facilitate the adoption of sustainable business practices across Africa, and to ensure that local communities benefit from the vast natural resources available to them. These benefits are unlocked through a combination of; skills training programmes, knowledge transfer initiatives and capital investment.

Developing new solutions and building capacity to unlock the potential of solar thermal in East Africa 

Solariskit, Strathmore, Energy Research Centre

Kenya, Rwanda

Next generation solar technologies and business models

Mid 

9

SolarisKit successfully developed its low-cost flat-packable solar collector, improving its performance while reducing its cost. While the collector is a core component of a solar hot water system, other components are also required contributing to its overall cost.

This project focuses on developing a new low-cost solar pump controller with fuzzy logic, and plastic hydraulic piping kit to further reduce total system cost. By the end of our 24 month project, we will develop a new low-cost solar thermal system suitable for the African market, create a Centre of Excellence for the Installation of Solar Thermal Systems, complete the training of 10-15 technicians, and carry out the installation of approximately 150 collectors for training and commercial pilots.

Solar-Hydrogen Powered 100% Renewable Modular Mini-Grid (Solar-H2) 

Sun Harvester Limited (Lead), Hope Bright Future Centre

Kenya

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Mid

9

In rural Sub-Saharan Africa, only 26% of the population have access to electricity. These rural areas are deprived of clean, reliable, and cost-effective energy to supply domestic, commercial and community buildings.

In this project, Sun Harvester will work with Kenyan partners, Hope Bright Future Centre (local agent, NGO Hope for the Nations) to
design, develop and field test an affordable community mini-grid solution, powered by solar panels. Our mini-grid solution
will be scalable, so we can achieve enough power supply capacity to supply entire communities. We will replace diesel generator back-up
with hydrogen fuel cell technology to deliver a 100% renewable mini-grid solution.

Our solution will unlock affordable, secure, energy access for all, bringing benefits to sub-Saharan Africa’s most at-risk and impoverished
communities.

AR-Mini: AI-powered renewable mini-grids for rural regions in Sri Lanka 

The Robert Gordon University (Lead), Alta Vision (Pvt) Ltd

Sri Lanka 

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Early

9

Renewable energy sources have the capacity to increase energy security, reduce the risk of fuel pollution and reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. This is especially beneficial for countries like Sri Lanka, which have no fossil fuel reserves but are rich in renewable energy sources.

Despite the benefits, the use of renewable sources increases the complexity of management and control of the electricity grid. Mini-grids are used to alleviate such complexities but there are challenges when balancing demand and supply from multiple renewable energy sources. An intelligent mini-grid controller can deal with uncertainties in both demand and supply.

This collaborative project between Sri Lanka (AVS) and the UK (RGU), aims to demonstrate the feasibility of an AI-powered Renewable Mini-grid (AR-Mini) for rural regions in Sri Lanka. The project objectives are the design and development of a prototypical AR-Mini, managed by an AI-powered mini-grid management system, that optimises core operations, and to assess the feasibility of AR-Mini in terms of improving access to low-carbon, reliable and affordable energy in Sri Lanka.

Hybrid energy system for clean cooking and electricity generation 

Thermoelectric Conversion Systems Limited (Lead), Conlons Kitchen, Cranfield University, Ibeda Nig Ltd, University Of Derby

Nigeria, Ghana

Modern cooking

Mid

9

This aim of this UK-Nigeria-Ghana mid-stage collaborative project is to optimise the concentrated-solar-power (CSP) and thermoelectric generator (TEG) hybrid energy system we developed in a previous project, testing and demonstrating them in relevant user environment. The system has clear benefits of providing both clean energy for cooking and off-grid electricity, addressing the energy access issue in the targeted countries.

The project will allow the UK consortium (Thermoelectric Conversion Systems, Cranfield University and University of Derby) to collaborate with a Nigerian company (IBEDA) and a Ghanian company (Conlons Kitchen) to optimise the design of the energy system, build demonstrators locally in Nigeria, field test its performance in rural communities of Nigeria and Ghana, conduct market research, and develop relevant GEIS and business models.

Feasibility study for sustainable, affordable solar PV/T-biomethane energy solution for rural Pakistan 

University Of Birmingham (Lead), Eco Research Ltd, Prime Eurotech (Pvt) Limited, Pakistan, Sukhi Development Foundation, University Of Kotli Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Wrk Design And Services Limited

Pakistan

Modern cooking

Early

9

There are huge amounts of waste in Pakistan including 20MT/yr solid waste of which almost half is biomass like (food waste, paper leaves, grass, and fodders), 70MT/year of agriwaste like wheat and rice husks, and 365MT/Yr of animal waste.

Exploiting this agricultural and animal waste, this project aims to investigate the feasibility of a novel Waste to Energy system to produce biogas which will be further upgraded and separated into biomethane and carbon dioxide.

The Biomethane will be used for cooking and heating while CO2 will be used for a wide range of industrial applications. Also, the proposed system will produce nitrogen enriched bio-fertilisers that can be used for soil enhancement, increased land fertility and food production.

Vietnamese farm clean Microgrid

University Of Huddersfield (Lead), Allgreen Energy, Bear Instruments Ltd, Hochiminh City University Of Technology

Vietnam

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Early

9

As a tropical country, Vietnam has high-potential on solar power. However, for any microgrid system, energy storage is highly expensive.

This project studies feasibility of a microgrid system with clean renewable energy sources including PV, treated biogas generator, and secondary life battery as energy storage for Vietnamese agriculture (pig) farms.

The project target is to provide an affordable, reliable, and clean energy solution to Vietnamese farming, whilst mitigating the environmental pollution from farm waste and unreliable off-grid power supply. The beneficiaries of the project are the farm workers, the owners and the community, often located in poor rural areas with unreliable off-grid power supply. With low-cost and mobile energy for basic appliances such as lighting, cooking, water-pump, communication, internet access, the project will address both gender and social inclusion as well as encourage equality.

Affordable Solar Photovoltaic-Powered Cold Storage in Vietnam 

University Of Oxford (Lead), Chat Truc Technology And Trading Company Ltd, Institute For Circular Economy Development, Vietnam Solar Power Epc Corporation

Vietnam

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Early

9

Vietnam’s cold storage market is expected to grow fast with booming demand that is expected to reach USD 295 million in 2025, yet the growth is obstructed by a critical shortage of suppliers. The country is in urgent need of more cold storage facilities as the current capacity only meets 30-35% of the nation’s demand. Cold storage can have transformative impacts on small and marginal farmers and rural communities through enhanced market connectivity.

To address the major challenge in the costs and capacity of current cold storage equipment in relation to the volume of frozen food production, our project will build on the solar energy and thermal energy storage technologies to develop and test inexpensive and off-grid cold storage, to meet the specific and urgent needs at the farm of small-scale fishing and aquaculture, to reduce food loss and maintain quality of product to market. Alongside the technology, we will also develop the novel purpose-driven business and finance models that are socially and economically appropriate. Working with in-country partners, the technologies and business models will be tested through farm-side pilots, focusing on the needs of women and low-income communities. Finally, our work will be undertaken to assist the partnership to understand the production and distribution capabilities required in Vietnam to scale accessibility and maintain low costs.

OxReGen Wind Turbine Mini-grid Pilot 

University Of Oxford, Éirecomposites, Save The Children International

Somalia

Smart green grids, including mini and main grid technologies

Early

9

In Somalia, only 15% of the population has access to electricity (Somalia National Development Plan). 90% of this electricity is supplied through isolated, diesel-based mini-grids (World Bank), which are costly and unsustainable. Of all the countries in Africa, Somalia has the highest potential for onshore wind power (African Development Bank).

The project team is comprised of members from the University of Oxford, ÉireComposites and Save the Children International. They will develop an innovative wind turbine mini-grid system, that will be both affordable and reliable. The mini-grid system will store energy to power electrical appliances, even in the absence of wind. This system will be constructed using locally sourced, off-the-shelf components, making it simple and easy to install. In addition, there will be minimal maintenance that anyone can be trained to carry out.

The team will identify a test site in Somalia to install a wind turbine mini-grid system. The power generated could be used to: refrigerate vaccines; power internet access; pump groundwater; provide lighting; and/or charge mobile phones, increasing income-generating activities and removing the need to purchase fuel.

REACT (Renewable Energy Access for the Conversion of Tuk-tuks) 

University Of Surrey (Lead), Alta Vision (Pvt) Ltd, University Of Sri Jayewardenepura

Sri Lanka

Energy storage, including batteries and mechanical storage

Early

9

The Technology lead for the project is an industrial firm, Alta Vision (Pvt) Ltd. They are supported by two academic partners with sound track records and knowledge in mechanical and electric system design, and electric and hybrid vehicle research and development.

This project aims to develop innovative technologies and business models that together will improve energy access to hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan three-wheel tuk-tuk drivers. Tuk-tuk-drivers – male and female – rely on their vehicles as an important source of income but currently lack access to energy which is affordable, reliable and carbon free. The project will convert internal combustion engine tuk-tuks to electricity and power them with solar energy.