WHY

POWERING RURAL ECONOMICS

Climate change is creating unstable weather patterns for African villages. Our energy services enable stable food production meaning rural communities can be confident in feeding themselves year-round, as well as being part of the global climate solution.

Rural communities can be supported to move from unstable periods of hunger and poverty to consistent sustainable prosperity. This is done by delivering dependable year-round energy reliability, which generates a virtuous cycle of confidence in the farmers, the cooperatives and their customers.

By focusing on supporting dairy farmers and the economy which is built up around them, such as the milk collection centres (MCCs), this helps support the rest of the community by enabling easier access to clean water, decent education and health care.

The MCCs, which chill milk and provide essential food products are located in rural areas where electricity is scarce. Even where the grid is present, this is unreliable and availability can be as low as 4 hours per day. Diesel generators are expensive to operate and inherently unreliable. Once milk temperature increases above approximately 6 degree’s centigrade, it cannot be consumed safely. Monthly, considerable milk is lost due to power outages, undermining commercial sustainability of the milk collection centre and the community it supports.

Delivering high class energy services in rural communities also provides opportunities for people where they are now, helping to prevent urbanisation. Our end users are therefore able to provide access to information and hygiene to their community through the energy services we enable.