UEF and GIZ bring clean and reliable power to 700 people with a new mini-grid in Benin

UEF and GIZ bring clean and reliable power to 700 people with a new mini-grid in Benin

Nearly 700 people will have access to clean energy after the commissioning of the first mini-grid in Gbowèlè, Benin. Mionwa, a subsidiary of OnePower PTY LTD, executed the project using a grant provided by the Universal Energy Facility (UEF) – a multi-donor results-based financing facility managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). This project is part of the mini-grid initiative “Energy Self-sufficient Villages” initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented jointly by the UEF and GIZ. Gbowèlè is the first community to benefit from the programme. Sinlita and Don Akadjamey are the next sites to be commissioned.

“This is excellent news for all of us but particularly for the people of Benin; it is a big step in the right direction. Having access to reliable and sustainable energy is a life-changing factor for people,” said Anita Otubu, Senior Director of the UEF. “This is more than having a light bulb at home; it is the possibility of living in a secure environment at night, the opportunity for kids to study after dusk, the chance for people to use the energy productively and foster their socio-economic development. All of this is done with the support of our partner, GIZ.”

In Benin, the disparity between urban and rural electricity access remains stark. While 70% of urban residents enjoy reliable power, only 18% of rural households have the same service. This gap leaves approximately 5 million people without access to electricity, hindering their economic opportunities and quality of life.

“The aim of the initiative “Energy Self-sufficient Villages” is to create economic development in rural areas in Africa through the catalysing power of decentralised renewable energy, and mini-grids in particular. We are very happy to see the first fruits of our support materialising in Benin and we would like to congratulate both Mionwa and the Government of Benin for working hard to bring this mini-grid to completion”, said Razvan Sandru, Project Manager at GIZ.

With the help of UEF grants, Mionwa is committed to delivering an 254 kW of renewable energy capacity in Benin with its mini-grids. This will facilitate the deployment of nearly 1,500 electricity connections, benefiting over 7,000 people with new or improved power.

The Universal Energy Facility (UEF) was established to significantly speed up and scale up energy access across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement. The UEF provides incentive payments to eligible organizations deploying energy solutions and providing verified end-user electricity connections (including mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems and clean cooking solutions) based on pre-determined standards.

The facility is managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and supported by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Shell Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Bezos Earth Fund, Africa Mini-grid Developers Association, Power Africa, Good Energies, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Carbon Trust, IKEA Foundation, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The UEF window in Benin was entirely funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany.

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