Lighting up the Dark Continent

9 November 2016



Its first electrification of an off-grid village in Mauritania has been completed by Winch Energy, employing a self-contained hybrid solar generation unit.


Winch Energy has installed its first self contained power unit in the remote village of Nimjat, 150 km south east of Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, following the signing of an agreement with the Mauritanian government to provide up to 100 off-grid villages with independent power supply systems incorporating mini-grids and smart metering.

Winch is a global off-grid renewable energy developer. In March this year it agreed to partner with EREN Renewable Energy to jointly develop and invest in renewable power projects across Africa and elsewhere. The heart of its methodology is its own proprietary technology, the remote power unit, a containerised hybrid solar PV solution equipped with battery storage and designed for 24x7 power delivery in off-grid locations. It is said to be robust, durable, secure, silent, and it produces no emissions of greenhouse gases or air pollutants. It has a life expectancy of 30+ years, and requires only limited maintenance and servicing, thanks to remote monitoring and fault detection, and the absence of moving parts.

Winch Energy Ltd, founded in March 2016 and jointly owned by EREN Renewables and Winch Energy Partners, is a for-profit company, bringing about profitable and economically viable renewable energy solutions for off-grid, rural populations in Africa. Its approach is to offer a ‘three utilities’ solution, based on its RPU. The aim is to provide electricity, electric water pumping and satellite connectivity.

There are over 700 million people across Africa without access to power. The population in is expected to nearly double by 2040 and energy demand is predicted to grow by 80% per capita.

Electrification of Nimjat

In Nimjat, the first RPU produces sufficient electricity to power the school, the dispensary, the mosque, 20 houses and LED street lighting in the village. It also provides and powers Wi-Fi access and an LED TV.

The RPU benefits for the residents of Mauritania are manifold. Out of the 3.5 million population, only 100 000 have access to Internet, the lowest rate on the continent. Winch has partnered with Computer Aid to provide the local school with computers and access to the Internet. Thanks to LED lighting, children will be able to study at night and villagers will be able to socialise.

The RPU will also confer significant health benefits: the dispensary will be able to store vaccines and medicines in a refrigerator, LED lighting will improve safety at night, and Wi-Fi access will allow doctors and nurses to communicate with healthcare facilities in Nouakchott to better understand and treat medical conditions in this remote village. The RPU will also provide at least 50% of its electricity to promote local business, an improvement on the solar kits that are currently being sold as an off-grid solution in Africa.

The installation, operation and maintenance of the RPU will create local jobs and enable transfer of skills to the local population. In addition, solar power will replace some of the coal and kerosene used for lighting and cooking with cheaper and cleaner energy, which will reduce the population’s exposure to toxic fumes. Today in Africa $10.5 billion per year is spent on kerosene lighting alone.

Remote power unit

The RPU is a containerised PV and battery storage solution. The batteries guarantee a reliable power supply on a 24/7 basis, acting as a back up at night time and during adverse weather conditions. The unit is designed to become the communications epicentre for the rural community with the addition of satellite broadband and DSTV. It is scalable, with three different models available – 7kW, 17kW, 30kW

The modular architecture allows growing demand to be met quickly. Its components are made by well known suppliers such as SMA, Hoppecke, and Chint. Each RPU can be assembled in 2-3 days and can be installed using local labour. 

Africa Nimjat RPU
Africa Solar panels - and shading
Africa Digital TV can be provided
Africa LED street lighting
Africa
Africa Drone shot of the RPU and village market


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