Nigerian rural communities are to benefit from two off grid
projects, consisting of a partnership between Pan Africa Solar and BBOXX (PAS
BBOXX), thus adding to the growing momentum of the off grid sector across
Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.
The first project, NaijaAgroNet
reports, is headed up by Pan Africa
Solar, is an 80MW utility scale Photovoltaic Power Plant located in Katsina
State, near the town of Kankia. The project focuses on a stable state in the
north of the country, where – due to lack of available hydro resources and gas
supply – renewables are the only long term sustainable option. The project will
integrate panels mounted on tilting structures that track the path of the sun
throughout the day, constructed on 210 hectares of land.
BBOXX is collaborating with Pan Africa Solar on a second
project supplying the distributed energy service that is operating in Kano
State, Northern Nigeria, with hopes to expand across the country.
BBOXX’s VP of Business Development, Anshul Patel shared his
comments on the partnership and its plans:
“Pan Africa Solar is a dedicated team with a core
understanding of the Nigerian market; a very exciting BBOXX partner in a much
underserved market. Nigeria has 60 million people who lack access to
electricity. To date, 2000 people have been impacted by our work in Kano, and
the business is currently in the process of scaling its operations. The
partnership between BBOXX and PAS is instrumental in leveraging expertise in
the off-grid business combined with local market knowledge to successfully
scale operations with a goal of electrifying 1 million people by 2020.”
EnergyNet launched
the Off the Grid Club initiative in 2016 to provide a networking platform for
off grid technology providers, financiers and regional leaders working in
Africa’s off grid industry. The membership programme collaborates with partners
such as the Shell Foundation, ElectriFi, Akon Lighting Africa and Solektra in
developing and financing off grid projects to electrify rural communities in
Africa.