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German engine manufacturing company, Rolls-Royce Power Systems has invested in the Berlin-based, start-up company, Kowry Energy to support sustainable growth and electrification for rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Aiming to promote growth in rural communities by providing industrial and commercial customers with access to reliable and sustainable energy, Kowry Energy specializes in the installation of small-scale power plants with storage systems and will provide 7.8 MW of clean energy to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the continent.
Kowry Energy has a project pipeline that includes the installation of off-grid solar systems that will provide 1.8 MW of clean energy to rural communities in Ghana and 1.2 MW in Mali.
In cooperation with local power providers and operators, the start-up aims to supply decentralized energy solutions that minimize the use of fossil fuels and makes use of Africa’s optimal renewable resource potential.
“The African market for decentralized energy supply has great potential. The geographical conditions offer the possibility of establishing a local, climate-friendly power supply for industry and community customers that operates with minimal use of fossil fuels.” CFO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Louise Öfverström, said of the investment, adding that, “Rolls-Royce, as an investor and industrial partner, offers Kowry Energy a strong market position. The start-up can count on our support and expertise in the implementation of its projects.”
Co-founder of Kowry Energy, Ndiarka Mbodji stated, “We believe that solving the climate challenge facing our planet will only succeed with the inclusion of the 600 million people of sub-Saharan Africa living without energy today. This requires innovative business models that enable sustainable energy access with scale and speed. With a scale-based business model and Rolls-Royce Power Systems as our investor, we are confident that Kowry Energy will achieve this.”
Speaking on the start-up’s upcoming projects, Mbodji noted, “We are excited to be launching this year in Mali and Nigeria and to see our business model validated by a current projects pipeline of $17 million.”
