Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) has inked a deal with Nuru Société par Actions Simplifée Unipersonnelle (Nuru SASU) for development of energy projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The agreement involves construction of new mini-grids, termed metro-grids by Nuru in the northeastern part of the country. This project is expected to provide access to electricity for residential, commercial, and customers in peri-urban and urban areas.
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Financing
A sum of US $5.4M will be provided by BGFA towards the project under results-based financing, with an expected additional US $30M in co-financing over the next four years. Jonathan E. Shaw, Co-Founder and CEO of Nuru, emphasized the importance of BGFA’s support, stating that the results-based financing has been crucial in securing new equity and project financing for their upcoming metro-grid in Bunia. This project aims to provide electricity to more than 125,000 people and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 8,000 metric tonnes by the end of the project implementation.
Nuru SASU, is dedicated to delivering clean energy solutions to underserved peri-urban and urban communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since deploying the country’s first commercial solar-based mini-grid in 2017, Nuru has delivered over 7,700 MWh of energy through the installation of four metro-grids.
The BGFA project will enable the development and deployment of an 8 MW solar mini-grid in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in northeastern DRC. This initiative is designed to supply electricity to up to 10,500 residential, commercial, and social institutions, with a particular focus on electrifying at least 3,400 small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, the project will provide power to essential infrastructure and social institutions, such as telecom towers, water treatment and distribution services, schools, and healthcare facilities. The mini-grid is expected to deliver up to 14,785 MWh annually, significantly enhancing the quality of life for over 125,000 people in the community.