UK-funded REPP provides clean energy access to over one million people in Sub-Saharan Africa through solar off-grid and isolated grid projects

London, 9 May 2022 — More than one million people in Sub-Saharan Africa have been connected to electricity for the first time through the UK-funded Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), managed by Camco Clean Energy.

According to figures released in its latest quarterly impact report today, REPP has provided clean energy access to approx. 1,083,000 people through its diverse portfolio of solar mini-grids, solar home systems and isolated grid projects (metro grids).

The new connections are providing far-reaching health and socio-economic benefits to rural communities and businesses, as well as directly supporting individual countries’ national climate action targets set out in their Nationally Determined Contributions.

Up until REPP’s intervention, most of the newly connected households had to either typically rely on kerosene, candles and diesel for their energy needs or go without. With access to a clean, reliable and more affordable energy supply, they are now able to enjoy improved air quality while benefiting from increased educational and income-generating opportunities through round-the-clock lighting and the productive use of energy (PUE) activities.

Ben Hugues, Investment Director and REPP Lead at Camco Clean Energy, said:

“Passing one million connections is a huge achievement for REPP and reflects all the hard work and determination of the Camco team, REPP’s board and investment committee and, of course, the developers themselves.

“But we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that around half of Africa’s population – with some 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa alone – still do not have access to electricity. REPP has been instrumental in developing a thriving and dependable market for the region’s small-scale and decentralised renewable energy sector. Now we just need to scale it up by 600 times.”

REPP was set up in 2015 to stimulate the growth of Sub-Saharan Africa’s small scale and distributed renewable energy market through investing in a mix of off- and on-grid projects that would have either never been realised or which would have faced extensive delays. In addition to the new connections, REPP’s portfolio of on-grid projects has improved the stability of the national grid supply for a further 97,000 people.

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About REPP

The Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), managed by Camco Clean Energy, works to mobilise private sector development activity – and investment – in small to medium-sized projects (typically up to 25MW) in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is supported with funding from the UK’s International Climate Finance through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and, to date, has agreed contracts with 37 renewable energy projects across 18 countries, employing seven different technologies, from SHS and PV mini-grids to onshore wind and run-of-river hydro.

About Camco Clean Energy

Camco Clean Energy is a specialist climate and impact fund manager, leading the clean energy transition in emerging markets. Camco offers clean, secure investments, pairing the conscience of a development bank with the agility of a private company. It is an Accredited Entity of the Green Climate Fund and is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. The company has offices in Accra, Auckland, Helsinki, Johannesburg, London, Nairobi, Singapore, Sydney and Toronto.

About the UK’s International Climate Finance

UK International Climate Finance (ICF) is the UK’s primary international instrument to help deliver on the commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement. It is one of the vital tools it is deploying to tackle climate change internationally and help secure successful outcomes at the COP26 negotiations.

The ICF helps developing countries mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, reduce deforestation and pursue clean economic growth focusing on driving transformation in line with the scale of action required to tackle climate change.

The results to date demonstrate the transformative impact that international climate action can have. Between April 2011 and March 2021, the ICF has:

• supported 88 million people to cope with the effects of climate change;
• provided 41 million people with improved access to clean energy;
• reduced or avoided 51 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions;
• mobilised £4.8 billion of public finance and £3.2 billion of private finance for climate change purposes in developing countries;
• installed 2,400 megawatts of clean energy capacity.

For all media enquiries and interview requests, please contact [email protected] or call Hugh Bowring on +44 2045 517056.

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Press release provided by Camco Clean Energy. Photo credit. Powerhive via Facebook.