A 600 kWp capacity Lolwe hybrid solar mini-grid power plant featuring a 600kWh lithium-ion battery, and a fully integrated and remotely managed system, has been inaugurated in Lolwe Island, Uganda, in a ceremony graced by Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, the East African country’s Minister of Energy.
Developed by ENGIE Energy Access, one of the leading Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grids solutions providers in Africa, and Equatorial Power Ltd, a Ugandan based renewable energy developer with a passion for access to energy, in a joint venture dubbed ENGIE-Equatorial JV (“EE”), the facility is reportedly one of the most advanced mini-grids in the world and one of its kind in the African continent.
Benefits of the Lolwe Hybrid Solar Mini-Grid project
This project, which reportedly sets new records in terms of value and replicability, will connect over 3,000 households and more than 700 businesses in Lole Island, which has approximately 15,000 people to clean and reliable electricity.
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The project also features an Agro-processing Hub that will help in water-pumping, distribution and purification, ice making, and other agricultural value-addition services like fish drying.
Furthermore, the joint venture is launching an e-mobility pilot project to support local fishermen by reducing their fuel expenditure and increasing their income through electric outboard engines for boats and e-motorcycles, whilst also increasing electricity consumption, all with a net positive environmental effect.
