Husk Power, Acumen Tie Up To Boost Solar Mini-Grids In Congo

Husk Power, Acumen Tie Up To Boost Solar Mini-Grids In Congo

Husk Power and Acumen today announced $500,000 funding in the form of a grant from Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach (H2R) initiative to support the company’s entry into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), growing access to decentralized renewable energy solutions in the world’s second-largest population living without access to electricity.

Announced at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Husk Power’s expansion into the DRC not only advances its ambitious ‘Africa Sunshot’ initiative but also signals a transformative shift for decentralized renewable energy in one of the world’s most energy-starved regions. Africa Sunshot, announced at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit, targets having 2,500 mini-grids on the continent by 2030. The company already operates the largest fleet of community solar mini-grids in Nigeria, where 90 million people are still living off the grid.

Solar Mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa

“This catalytic support from H2R is a critical piece of the puzzle for scaling community solar mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the World Bank says mini-grids are the most cost-effective way to electrify 380 million people,” said CEO and Co-Founder Manoj Sinha. “We look forward to partnering closely with the government to scale our solutions in the DRC on an accelerated timeline, and directly contributing to the goals of Mission 300, a World Bank and African Development initiative to electrify 300 million people by the end of the decade.”

Acumen’s H2R aims to electrify 72 million people in sub-Saharan Africa over 10 years by scaling solar solutions in underserved markets.

Affordable Clean Energy 

“We are thrilled to support Husk’s expansion the DRC at this crucial time, as it has the potential to transform lives by creating millions of affordable and clean energy connections in a highly underserved market where nearly 80 million people still lack access to electricity. Husk’s expansion to the DRC could be a game-changer by bringing light and opportunity to communities that have been left behind,” said Sandra Halilovic, Head of Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach Development Facility.

The grant from H2R is designed to significantly advance energy equity in the DRC. The funds will be used to help Husk establish a corporate presence in the DRC, obtain necessary government approvals, build out a robust pipeline of DRE projects, and build its first minigrids.