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Department of Science, Innovation and Technology
Floating Instream Tidal and Solar (FITS) Power Plant - Nepal Pilot Project
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Harvesting hydrokinetic energy from running river water presents a highly attractive addition to the existing renewable energy sectors. Critically, and unlike most other renewables, this technology guarantees a predictable and consistent energy output which can contribute to the baseload power requirements of its energy off-takers. AEL has developed an innovative hybrid technology which couples run-of-river hydrokinetic generation with solar - the Floating Instream Tidal and Solar (FITS) power plant. FITS technology has been specifically optimized for river deployments, and is scalable to enable both energy access and utility scale power generation. This project will deliver the first fully developed FITS pilot, supplying constant renewable power to an off-grid community in rural Nepal. The electricity supplied will be used to provide lighting and cooking facilities to households in the community, and will additionally power water filtration and pumping equipment, providing access to clean water for drinking and water for agricultural industry.
Harvest Cool
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Agriculture plays a significant role in the Nigerian economy, contributing 22.35% GDP (2021) and employing \>70% of its population at subsistence level(1). Onions are a lucrative, dry season irrigated crop and ~2 Mt/annum are produced, largely in Northern Nigeria. Opportunities for onion farmers are not fully realised, due to low investment in agronomic practices, and post-harvest losses (up to 50%). Traditional drying of onions could be replaced by a cool supply chain from field to market, however, access to energy for chilling hampers this initiative. The Harvest Cool project represents stakeholders from farming business, agricultural services, and technology providers who will deliver an integrated energy system to develop a low carbon cold storage system for onions grown in Nigeria. The partnership comprises PyroGenesys (biomass pyrolysis technology); Lavender Fields (agricultural produce aggregator and marketer); the Nigeria Agribusiness Group and Agrolog (agricultural extension services, Nigeria) and University College London (Life Cycle Assessment input). The project builds on a feasibility study carried out by Lavender Fields, identifying farming communities which sell to a major onion market (Karfi) in Kano, Nigeria, with a demonstrable need to develop cool supply chains for perishable crops. The project is innovative in bringing together unique engineering designs which address cold storage for transport from the field to a central storage point. The project is also innovative in the conception of a business model which considers energy provision; the benefits of food waste reduction; adding value to low income farming communities; and a circular carbon farming system with potential to improve agronomic conditions and carbon sequestration in soils. The project will be assessed quantitatively through Life Cycle Assessment of global warming potential (GWP) of the overall system and qualitatively through a programme of community interactions, demonstrating the project's contribution to addressing SDG7 Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG13 Climate Change. REFERENCES (1) https://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a-glance/en/
Rice-straw powered biowaste to energy
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
This consortium, let by Carnot Ltd, seeks to develop the world's first profitable rice-straw bioenergy demonstrator for a rural community in Lombok Island, Indonesia. Rice straw is separated from the grains during harvesting and either combusted (producing CO2) or left to decompose (producing methane with 25\* Global Warming Potential) due to challenges with harvesting it, particularly in flooded paddy fields (a common occurrence). Straw Innovations has created innovative technology that overcomes the barriers to harvesting it in all weathers, unlocking a potential 300Mt of rice straw generated in Asia every year. Rice straw has high ash content (around 20%), comprising about 75% silica. This, combined with other components in the straw (chlorine, potassium) causes melting and slagging / fouling in boilers when combusted. Hence, it is not an easy fuel to chop or combust. PyroGenesys have developed a lower-temperature pyrolysis process which can convert rice straw into Biochar, a carbon-sequestering fertiliser that can be used by the rice farmers, and biofuel. The carbon sequestered can be traded on carbon removal markets. Surplus biofuel not used to generate electricity can be sold. Electricity is a low-value commodity and renewable electricity projects will typically require very large scale to be profitable and attract funding required from investors. PyroGenesys' process solves this problem by opening up two very high-value revenue streams. Carnot is developing ceramic engine gensets with double the efficiency of state-of-the-art diesel gensets, capable of operating on all fuels. These will provide electricity to the rice mills as their base load as well as electricity to a rural community. Integrating Carnot's gensets enables revenues generated by biofuel sales to be maximised. Indonesia: * Is the world's 5th largest GHG emitter. * Is the largest producer of biofuels worldwide. * Has mandated to convert a significant portion of its palm oil into FAME biodiesel. There is a reluctance to move to renewable energy due to fossil fuel sunk costs/subsidies and no proven profitable off-grid low-carbon energy business model. This demonstrator project aims to be the catalyst to breaking the deadlock and unleashing investment into Indonesia's enormous renewable energy potential. Key project outputs: * Pilot-scale demonstration of business model feasibility * 200,000kg rice-straw feedstock; * 76,000kg value-added-biochar/53,200kg carbon sequestration/80,000kg biofuel; * 2.28MWh electricity provided to rice mill.
Technical and Societal Innovation for Delivering Access to Community Wide Affordable Cylindered CBG for Cooking and Sustainable Fertiliser
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Natural Synergies Ltd (NS) Industrial Research project "Technical/Societal Innovation for Delivering Community Wide Affordable Cylindered CBG for Cooking and Sustainable Fertiliser" is to establish new data and knowledge, which would eventually lead to establishing an demonstration waste to energy process based around an advanced anaerobic digestion treatment process that has been developed by NS. This seminal development work will utilise a sectoral system of innovation which will eventually lead to nationwide joint partnerships, between NS the (technology provider) and poorer sectors of the local community. NS together with project partners, are involved in a project that concerns advanced pre-treatment and processing of faecal sludge and organic waste, providing enhanced, efficient energy security/generation, utilising locally available resource and GHG emission savings. NS aims in this Industrial Research project, to develop a stand-alone enhanced energy pre-processing technology, for rural and peri-urban locations in developing countries, increasing the efficiency of energy generation for the supply of affordable clean energy, for cooking and transport to the poor and marginalised local community and also with the production and supply of a sustainable source of fertiliser to local farmers. The decentralised and localised waste to energy plant, will also serve as a low cost faecal sludge management system and organic waste treatment facility, preventing the dumping of waste into waterways and land, providing benefits to both the environment and health to the local community. During the course of the project, the team will work in close co-operation with existing co-operatives and where necessary, expand and create further entrepreneurial partnerships, encouraging women's empowerment, social inclusion and security in the overall waste supply chain and product sales and marketing. This will lead to establishing a circular economy for waste treatment with close co-operation between the energy plant operator and the local community. Although specialised components will be sourced in the UK, NS will establish non-specialised component manufacture/build using local industries leading to job creation in DC, economies in plant build, short inbound/outbound feedstock and product supply logistics, marketing, sales and service supply chain.
Rice Straw Biogas Hub
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Rice is the number 1 food crop globally: 91% of it is produced and consumed in Asia and it is the staple for more than half the world's population. However, for every kilogram of rice we eat, a kilo of straw is also produced. Not to be confused with husks, which cover the grains and are taken to a mill, the stems and leaves of the rice plant are left in the fields after harvest. Rice straw is difficult to remove from paddy fields, which are often flooded and in remote areas. It is high in silica, making it a poor fuel or animal feed. It is also not suitable to incorporate into flooded rice fields due to slow degradation and high greenhouse gas emissions, so burning is farmers' main option for clearing fields. Across Asia, a staggering 300 million tonnes of rice straw go up in smoke every year, releasing a lethal cocktail of gases and black carbon that triple risks of increased respiratory diseases and accelerate climate change. Rice is responsible for 48% of global crop emissions: more CO2e than the whole global aviation industry combined. A recent IFPRI study calculated the health costs of crop residue burning to be $30 billion annually in North India alone, rising to $190 billion in five years. To address this crisis a British SME, Straw Innovations Ltd, was started in 2016 as a spin-out from pioneering international research on the subject. The company's founder, Craig Jamieson, assembled consortia and secured Energy Catalyst co-funding to establish an industrial pilot plant in the Philippines, collecting rice straw and fermenting it to produce clean-burning methane gas. The whole system had to be specially designed since no existing technologies were suitable for the purpose. The plant is now operational, with many techno-economic breakthroughs. Local farmers strongly support it and are waiting for scale-up so they can benefit from its efficient, clean energy services. Rice is known as a "Poverty Crop" because farmers often struggle to afford energy-intensive equipment that could improve their yields add value to their crop. Therefore, this project will demonstrate a complete system of 500ha harvesting, straw removal, biogas-powered rice drying and storage plus efficient milling. The "Rice Straw Biogas Hub" will offer these as affordable, value-adding commercial services to the rice farmers, avoiding their need to buy and maintain expensive equipment, and enabling them to triple incomes whilst protecting the environment.
PyroPower Africa Stage 2
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
PyroPower is a containerised 100 kW waste to energy technology developed by PyroGenesys and ICMEA-UK in Energy Catalyst Round 6 (ECR6). The conversion of agricultural waste to renewable electricity, process heat and biofuels simultaneously, underpins PyroPower's novel multi-revenue ability to provide reliable, affordable, renewable electricity in off-grid communities. Project partner Mobinet will facilitate access to formal banking services, microfinance and credit using their SIMPAY mobile banking platform. Proactive engagement and facilitation of women farmers and women-owned and run businesses, and wider engagement with disadvantaged groups to ensure they are included and their specific priorities and needs are being met, will be prioritised by all partners. ATMANCorp owns a 700 hectare cassava farm and flour mill in Oyo State and will host the PyroPower pilot along with a Micro Enterprise Park (MEP) and guarantee the supply of agricultural waste. The pilot will provide biofuel to a 250kva genset used to generate power for the factory and MEP and supply culinary-grade steam used for sterilising food processing lines in the factory. Aston University will build on their biofuel work with PyroGenesys in ECR7, to develop a continuous liquid biofuels process for producing diesel and kerosene. Manufacturing methods required to scale up the process for commercial production, will be developed by ICMEA-UK. Introduction of these liquid biofuels to the Nigerian market, in the form of renewable alternatives to diesel and kerosene, will be managed by Ardova PLC, a major Nigerian hydrocarbon reseller that supplies petroleum products to around 500 filling stations across the country. Within 5 years of project start, lessons from the pilot will inform the rollout of 100 commercial PyroPower installations across Ardova's filling station network. Deploying Mobinet's SIMPAY payment platform will support cashless electricity purchases made using featureless mobile handsets with no internet access in communities selected by Ardova to host commercial PyoPower installations. The export of solid biofuels in the form of solid smokeless biochar briquettes as a renewable alternative to coal, will be managed by PyroGenesys ECR7 partner Coal Products Limited (CPL).
Cotton Footprint: transitioning the carbon intensive cotton and textiles industry to renewable infrastructure through a whole supply chain approach
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
A collaboration to deliver affordable energy solutions in rural Pakistan communities who are integral to the farming and production of global cotton supplies. The Affordable Clean Energy Farm (ACE-Farm) is a novel insetting scheme that aims to redistribute capital via investments by fashion brands, textiles manufacturers and clean cotton networks to reduce the impact of their own carbon consumption. This project will continue the work delivered by UK energy management company, Pilio, and Pakistan energy infrastructure company, SAMA^Verte, under an Energy Catalyst 8 funded feasibility study. Within this continuation project, we will demonstrate the economic model that aims to bring clean and affordable energy access to Pakistan's 10m cotton workers. Our focus is on creating a multiplier effect via a range of ecosystem services, including household energy access, productive energy on industrial cotton farms (ginners) and enabling micro-enterprises to offer energy services and create new markets. Within this project Pilio will develop our technology platform, that measures the investment brands make in terms of carbon reduction and affordable energy uptake, as well as economic terms including ROI. This project will be delivered in close working partnership with WWF Pakistan and global sustainability experts, Better Cotton.
SolarERA (Solar Electrification of Rural Areas)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The people of Thar Desert have little to no electricity access. Those that have access, use diesel polluting generators to produce this electricity, while fuel supply is unreliable and intermittent. The Thar is the most populous desert in the world, with approximately 16.6m people living there. Tharis are far behind the Pakistani average on economic skills. They rely predominantly on agriculture/livestock and "Thari crafts" (ornate embroidered/sewn garments such as quilts and cushions) to survive. The Thari women who make these crafts are extremely hardworking and talented, spirited and committed. Empowering women can change the destiny of Tharparkari people. However, the unavailability of electricity needed to power productivity enhancing stitching/sewing machines, means these women must make every stitch painstakingly by hand. As such, garment making is incredibly slow, laborious, and they are unable to leverage their skills to benefit their families and the wider village community. By the end of 2026, SolarERA systems will be ready to provide a unique electrification solution that will benefit these people by affording them access to off-grid electricity and in turn electric sewing/craft machines, and in doing so revolutionise their current economic situation. As a result, Thari-crafts can form the bedrock of the economic model that will provide microfinance institutions with the confidence to offer the initial investment to fund the SolarERA pico-grids. From this key initial electrification enabler, further downstream benefits can flow in relation to Health and Well-being, Education and Learning, Communication and Connectivity etc. Additionally, SolarERA will serve to preserve the age-old Thari crafts skills of these women, passed down by successive generations for centuries. The benefits to project partners are clear, major growth in jobs (25-UK, 125-PAK) and economic activity (£22.5million in revenues) by 2031. Kunwaa Foundation will be able to achieve its aim of improving the lives of the Thar people more easily and faster. SALATEEN will become a leader in the supply and installation of pico-grids across Pakistan and neighbouring countries. Zhyphen will see a significant boost in exports of critical technology for the enablement of low-cost off-grid solar solutions, enhancing it and Brunel-University-London's reputation as leaders in this area
SolarSaver2 (SS2) Low Cost Energy Solution in Africa Energy Catalyst Round 10: Mid Stage
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
SOLARSAVER2 focuses on delivering a sustainable business model for using innovative low carbon off grid drying solutions. The project aims to create value for small- and large-scale sub-Saharan agricultural producers and other stakeholders by adding a new sustainable technical and processing solution delivered at a pricing level suitable for deployment in Africa and Asia to create highly nutritious products and reduce food waste. Fruit and vegetable products are of high moisture content. The key target is to significantly reduce the energy consumption, operating costs and carbon footprint of conventional drying techniques using an innovative low-temperature drying process. The sustainable delivery of low cost drying has a significant impact on the different sections of society such as the poor (majority of farmers) and women (about 50%) are catered for. Extensive operations and trials are planned with partners in Tanzania including local manufacturing. The processing solution is such that it can be easily deployed on-farm at different degrees of decentralisation and in centralised small, medium and large-scale industrial sites.
Renewable ENergy Demand Assessment and eNtrepreneurial Growth (RENDANG) for Energy Access in Malaysia
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Our project addresses challenges and opportunities in rural electrification, particularly for remote Orang Asli communities in West Malaysia. Despite the country's considerable urban development and high electrification rates, about 200 of these villages remain under-electrified. A critical challenge in deploying distributed systems in communities is assessing and growing demand for electricity. Current approaches in distributed systems involve surveying communities, then designing and installing systems such as mini-grids based on this initial assessment. Mini-grid construction can be a slow process, and during the wait, communities may lose interest or trust in the electrification process. When the mini-grid eventually comes online, demand can be disappointingly low, as the community is only just starting to develop their productive use businesses and grow their payment behaviour. We propose to address this problem by integrating the Community Energy Toolkit (COMET), a community engagement software tool to assess demand, and a mobile mini-grid to provide quick and temporary electrification to build demand, while deploying more permanent solutions. Our project involves a collaboration between Smart Villages Research Group (SVRG), Energy Action Partners (ENACT), and the COMET team, to develop an integrated model that merges COMET's predictive capabilities with the immediacy of mobile mini-grids in Pos Titom located in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. This approach will accurately assess energy needs to be met by cost-effective Clustered Solar Home Systems (CSHSes), foster demand for productive uses of energy using the mobile mini-grid, and encourage sustainable income via targeted capacity building for village-based enterprises enabled by these systems. This innovative model aims to bridge the gap between the initial community engagement and the installation and commissioning of a distributed energy system. It will help maintain community interest and grow energy demand gradually, a crucial step for scaling distributed energy systems sustainably. We expect the combination of the two technologies to be widely scalable. Whilst we will be validating the approach in Malaysia, the successful demonstration of the impact will allow us to apply this innovative suite of tools to improving minigrid and energy access development worldwide, where for example latest estimates (World Bank ESMAP, 2022) forecasts a need for at least 200,000 more minigrids to be able to meet SDG energy access targets in Africa alone.
Electrical Storage Systems for Sustainable Uninterrupted Clean Energy and Water Supply to Hospitals and Communities in South Sudan
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
This is a combined ElectricalStorageSystem (ESS) and SolarWaterPumping project. It will supply 24/7 power and water to 2 hospitals and 1 school in selected countries. We are combining the service to the institution with community based water kiosks, and the earnings from water sales will pay for system upkeep and cover lifetime replacement costs. The innovation of this project is to test the combination of different existing technologies to provide services with excellent social returns, and with a sustainable finance model included. Installing solar energy systems means schools and hospitals have uninterrupted daily energy; sufficient ESS capacity ensures 24/7 availability. Solar powered water pumping, with ESS backup, provides clean water 24/7, from multiple access points, supplying the local community as well as the schools and hospitals in this project. The erratic costs of running and maintaining diesel generators are eliminated by the minimal maintenance requirements, and these costs are covered by income from sales of water. The project will be delivered in South Sudan. We have selected this country because of the implementation challenges posed due to recent socio-political activity, and because this is a place with the greatest need. This technology will be a model for hardest-to-reach countries and locations. Aptech has a strong presence in South Sudan, and is one of the few companies that has the capacity to implement this project in partnership with SVRG. South Sudan has been devastated by war and disease. Access to clean energy and water is critical to the improvement of educational and medical services within South Sudan, where less than 50% of people have access to water resulting in low life expectancy and very high infant mortality rates. Access to electricity and water in institutions in these countries is under 20% resulting in load sharing and power outages of at least 8 hours, which disrupt services. We will monitor the impact of the project on the community and establish the sustainability and replicability of the system in additional institutions. Aptech has consulted with both the government of South Sudan and local NGOs to identify institutions to launch this pilot project, and they are very supportive of our plans. Once we have proof of concept, we will present our findings to NGOs, private institutions, and the governments to promote the replication of the system, through collaborative partnerships, and to expand access to electricity and water for institutions all across each respective country.
Innovative Low Voltage Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) for Affordable Microgrid Distribution Infrastructure in Africa
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
A typical village in rural Uganda might have 225 houses, consume an average of 0.3kWh per day from a minigrid, and require 8km of distribution infrastructure (poles and cables) to connect all the spread out houses. The village in the UK in which we are based has 1250 houses, consuming (conservatively) 10kWh a day, and requiring just 4km of (identical) distribution infrastructure because of our high housing density. Our electricity tariffs are roughly the same (at $0.20/kWh). The UK village pays a combined total of just over $900k a year for electricity, which repays the cost of the distribution system within 2 weeks. The households in Uganda pay just under $5000 a year for electricity usage, and will therefore need more than 16 years to repay just the cost of the poles and cables, without even factoring in the cost of the electricity generation itself. More than anything else, it is the cost of distribution that kills the commercial viability of minigrids, and prevents remote households from being connected to electricity systems in offgrid rural communities in Africa. There has been little to no innovation in distribution to match the significant recent advances in generation and storage technologies and affordability. Single Wire Earth Return is a promising technology used for high voltage rural connections in the electricity grid in the US, Canada, South Africa, Mozambique, Laos, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. In this feasibility study we propose to adapt the technology to low voltage (230V) use in last mile connectivity in rural minigrids and test its performance in multiple locations and climate/soil conditions, collecting data to demonstrate its cost effectiveness and safety for users and the community in rural energy access. We estimate the technology could save as much as 70% of the cost of traditional distribution systems. We will also engage with local regulators and the international energy access community to introduce them to this technology, and encourage its uptake to enable wider energy access in remote communities and households, and lower energy tariffs in these communities. Partners SVRG (\>20 innovative rural energy systems in sub-Saharan Africa), MOSCET (foremost sustainable energy company and minigrid installed in Lesotho), Kiima Foods and OMASI (rural development NGOs with experience of \>40 community technology solutions) and electrical engineering experts National University of Lesotho Energy Research Centre are collaborating on this project to trial the technology in three communities and evaluate safety and cost-benefit.
Innovative Agricultural Cross-Subsidised Financing of Access to Clean Energy and Sustainable Cooling with Smart Agri-Centres in Uganda
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
In an EnergyCatalyst7 project, SVRG with Ugandan partners developed a game-changing approach to rural energy-access, economic-empowerment and agricultural-productivity. The SmartAgri-Centre(SAC) combines a50kW centralised solar-power plant with an integrated set of community productive use and agri-value-addition services, in a large central community hub. Feedback from the local community shows the social impact the Centre has brought, including improved environment, knowledge of farming practices, income, savings and positive impact on family life and education. In the first year of operation, analysis showed that the SAC services helped farmers quadruple average annual earnings (up from $800 to $3100), increase yields across a variety of crops, and reduce input costs by 30%. Across the community, in that year, the centre generated additional value of $211,500. GESI impacts were also apparent: the majority of the 110members of the newly-formed agricultural cooperative are women, and female farmers reported positive impacts from the SAC. 40% of Co-op board members, and 40% of the business committee are female. The SAC is designed to address specific priorities and needs of a community, so each is subtly different. But the average cost to SVRG and partners of providing the infrastructure, and years of community support/training is around$250,000. The data we have collected suggests that communities should be able to afford to repay this cost in less than 2 years from their increased earnings. Our challenge in scaling this solution is to determine the best business model and community engagement strategy for the community to be able to repay the costs of providing the SAC from their agricultural income. According to the data we have collected, the community earns enough to repay the costs in under 2 years. However, the mechanism for this is far from obvious. Individual farmers in these communities are highly risk-averse (as well as lacking financial skills and creditworthiness). Entering into contractual arrangements with 100+ separate farmers to ensure repayment would be unworkable. Alternative models (operating the centres ourselves and collecting revenues and taking a cut of agricultural earnings as a "benign middleman", or establishing/empowering a community cooperative to do the same, have other risk factors and disadvantages). In this project, SVRG and partners will construct and operate 6 of the SACs in new communities, trialling different business/repayment models, to establish the ones that will allow us to scale the roll-out of the technology to rural communities with the highest amount of success, impact and commercial return.
Renewable Energy Agro-Processing Hubs for Energy Access and Economic Development in Rural Rwanda
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Our project, REAP (Renewable Energy Agro-Processing) hub, is a transformative initiative aimed at empowering rural communities by providing sustainable access to renewable energy and enhancing their food production capacities. Through the integration of innovative technologies and community-driven approaches, we seek to create lasting social, economic, and environmental impact in underserved regions. At the heart of our project is the vision to address the energy poverty prevalent in remote rural areas, where communities face challenges due to lack of reliable and affordable energy. Bby harnessing the power of renewable energy, we can unlock tremendous potential, enabling these communities to improve their quality of life and drive sustainable development. We begin with robust community engagement and needs assessment to truly understand the energy requirements and aspirations users. By working closely with the target communities, we ensure that our solutions are tailored to their specific needs and integrate seamlessly into their daily lives. Through strategic partnerships (Smart Villages Research Group and NjordFrey), we will deploy renewable energy technologies to support high yield fish/vegetable production with value addition (cooling/food drying). Intelligently monitored and coordinated through a digital monitoring system, the REAP hub will automatically balance the energy and production demands to increase efficiency and reduce energy and production costs. The REAP project extends beyond energy access. We recognise the vital role of productive systems in rural communities, such as agriculture and small-scale enterprises. By incorporating energy into these systems, we unlock new opportunities for income generation, value-chain development, and market access. This integrated approach fosters economic growth, creates employment, and reduces poverty, ensuring long-term sustainability. Furthermore, our project aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By promoting renewable solutions and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, we contribute to combating climate change. The impact of the REAP project last far longer than our project implementation. The knowledge, skills, and partnerships developed throughout the project will serve as a catalyst for replication and scaling up to 2,000 hubs across Sub-Saharan Africa, fostering widespread adoption of renewable energy solutions and transformative development models. Through collaboration, innovation, and a deep commitment to sustainable development, REAP aims to empower rural communities, unlock their potential, and create a brighter future for all. Together, we can build resilient communities, promote Gender and Social inclusivity, and achieve a greener and more prosperous world.
Towards a new power infrastructure development path for rural Africa (PowerPath)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Nanoé is a French-Malagasy social business moved by the ambition to amplify energy access and employment creation in rural Africa through the implementation of a new electrification model based on renewable energies, digital technologies and local entrepreneurship, named Lateral Electrification. In the PowerPath project Nanoé collaborates with Technovative Solutions Limited, the University of Lancaster, TWI Limited and The Power Hub Limited and seek funding to develop a first of a kind progressive technological concept that clusters smaller power infrastructures (from solar nanogrid, to DC microgrid, to DC/AC minigrid) to deliver more intense energy services (like motor or thermal uses) in a way that ensures stable, abundant energy access through solar. Further to technological development, the business model of PowerPath addresses a plurality of challenges related to the deployment and maintenance of the technologies related to the nanogrids/microgrids as they focus to the training and strong participation of not-skilled community members without gender discrimination to become technically skilled agents of the energy expansion. In this context the project addresses sustainable development goals: SDG-7 (access to energy), SDG-8 (access to employment) and SDG-13 (development of sustainable energy practices).
Safely transforming phytoremediation crops into bioenergy
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
This project will optimise technology to efficiently and safely produce biogas using plants grown on contaminated land. Terra Power is based in the UK and was founded to develop this technology. The project involves partners in the UK, UAE, and Indonesia. Our UK partner, Loughborough University, brings research expertise, AD capabilities, and all required lab equipment. Terra Power worked with Loughborough to deliver a successful proof-of-concept project, and published results in a co-authored paper in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Phytoremediation (June 2020) Our UAE partner, Zest Associates, brings cleantech commercialisation expertise, green finance expertise, start-up incubation experience and project leadership capabilities critical for successful delivery. Our Indonesian partner, Nexus3, brings access to test sites, skills in site characterisation, toxics management, and testing the production of mercury-absorbent polymer locally, maintaining relationships with target communities, policymakers and local subcontractors. This project supports the production of cost-effective and locally secure low-carbon energy for the energy-poor in countries affected by site contamination, tackling the energy trilemma. The project also delivers co-benefits including reduced carbon emissions, valorising remediation activities, improving health, especially of women and children, restoring soils, create local economic development, in turn addressing Sustainable Development Goals 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 & 15, and supporting compliance with the UN Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Energy Makers Academy: A mobile learning platform for universities to train rural energy innovators
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The number of people without access to electricity in Africa dropped from almost 860 million in 2018 to 770 million in 2019 (IEA et al., 2021). However, without more sustained efforts, it is predicted that 650 million people will still live without access to electricity in 2030, despite universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity by 2030 being a key Sustainable Development Goal (United Nations, 2015).
Fiji WAVEFLOW
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
With the increasing demand for clean energy in island nations to achieve the ambitious decarbonisation goals for a net-zero future, where limited land availability poses a significant challenge for onshore renewable solutions, our ocean-based technology provides a game-changing solution that also tackles the challenges in offshore renewables deployment. Our innovative wave energy solution is designed to work seamlessly with existing floating wind systems, delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to land-constrained island nations facing energy access and energy equality challenges. Combining wind and wave power optimises energy production, reducing overall costs. This cost-effectiveness makes clean energy accessible to a wider population, helping bridge the energy gap and promoting equality among communities. This compatibility also allows for efficient use of infrastructure and capitalises on established offshore wind installations. We maximise efficiency and minimise installation and maintenance costs by leveraging these synergies. We are also committed to minimising the environmental impact associated with energy production. Our wave technology harnesses the power of nature without disturbing marine ecosystems, ensuring a harmonious coexistence between renewable energy generation and marine life preservation. By deploying our wave technology alongside floating wind systems, island nations can overcome energy challenges and pave the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future. Our solution brings a transformative change, empowering communities and contributing to a more equitable and environmentally conscious world.
GoHubs Mozambique Green Fishing and Cold Chain Hubs
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
GoHubs Mozambique is a transformative network of solar-battery microgrid hubs serving the artisanal fishing sector in coastal communities of Mozambique. The primary objective of GoHubs is to provide smart reliable renewable energy solutions, infrastructure and equipment to unlock market access, reduce fish losses, and bolster the local fishing sector. The artisanal fishing industry plays a crucial role in Mozambique, accounting for 90% of the total catch and with over 15% of households depending on it for their livelihoods. However, inadequate energy and transport infrastructure in coastal areas restrict the availability of resources such as ice, cold storage, and access to non-local markets. These limitations lead to significant fish losses and reduced incomes within the sector. To address these challenges and create new opportunities, GoHubs introduces a pioneering business model that combines significant technological and commercial innovations. From a technical perspective, GoHubs integrates energy-intensive operations like ice production, cold storage, water pumping, and electric refrigerated transport into an integrated hub, powered by an on-site solar-battery microgrid. Smart control and load management system, ensures a reliable and efficient power supply and optimises across the critical loads. The entire systems is also integrated onto a single monitoring platform to simplify operations. From a commercial standpoint, this bundling approach ensures that a continuous reliable cold chain from boat to market is effectively and sustainably established. Furthermore, this strategy facilitates economies of scale, resulting in lower unit costs for ice and services. GoHubs not only sells ice and cold storage services but also supports the trading of local fish, providing electric refrigerated transport to larger markets. The business model also enhances resilience by diversifying revenue streams, and by including electric vehicle charging reduces the impact of volatile fossil fuel costs on transportation. By providing ice and services instead of selling energy units, GoHubs mitigates the uncertainty associated with the current regulatory environment. GoHubs is a pilot deployment in Inhambane Province on a public-private partnership model with a community fish market. GoHubs expects to improve the livelihoods of the fishing sector workers and the broader community through improved catch quality, better and reliable market access, and reduced losses and wastage and replicate the model across Mozambique and other countries where renewable and reliable cold chain can unlock green growth.
Project GANESHA - Getting power Access to rural-Nepal through thermally cooled battery Energy storage for transport and Home Applications
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Project GANESHA focusses on development, manufacture and implementation of an innovative battery module solution for powering Nepal rural-based small passenger vehicles and off-grid low-power home energy systems. Solar-power installations will be constructed to pilot our innovation in two seperate rural-Nepal pilot sites with marginal-/zero-power access. Our consortium including three-UK and two-Nepal organisations, was formed to assist solution-development for commercial challenges faced by the Nepal Electric Vehicle Institute (NEVI) in achieving its ambition to provide Nepal-wide zero-carbon public-transport/power access. NEVI were established in the mid-1990s when growing urban-population densities led to exponential-increase in urban-internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle registrations/polluton. NEVI were pioneers in retrofitting Nepal-ICE-rickshaws to EV, and developing battery-solutions to power these vehicles. It rents batteries to marginalised-/low income-communities through its its affordable model, to facilitate their independant-income-generation (60% of its work-force being female). Limitations of Nepal's rural-/urban-location power grid/distribution restrict EV-rollout across the country. NEVI are forced to depot-recharge EV-rickshaws during night-periods when power-demand is low and risk of powercuts are minimised. Limited depot-space and grid-power restrictions limit EV-rickshaws numbers NEVI can provide each location's public-transport market. NEVI wish to access solar-power to charge vehicle battery packs and envision a removable solution simlar to products currently marketed in India and Sub-Saharan Africa to expand its service to rural-communities where solutions are most needed (aligning with its original mission). However, current module-products are recharged at low C-rates and require large capital-investment. To supply a public-transport EV-fleet NEVI would require large module-stocks and high-area solar-arrays. Our projects innovation/case study-sites resolve this dilemma. A new module will be designed, manufactured, and mobilised incorporating PAK-Engineering Ltd's robust-/lightweight-heat exchanger technology. PAK's system facilitates high C-rate charging and design-versatility enabling PAK to adapt/optimise its function to suit multiple environmental-conditions. EPT Ltd will design module-incorporated state-sensor/communications technology so module-function is optimised, and location tracked when in use. Gamma-Meon Ltd will design, adapt and incorporate a specilised payment systems platform that EV-rickshaw operators and users will use to access NEVI services. Our solution will reduce mentioned-capital investment-requirments, and enable rollout to two rural-communities with marginal-/zero-power access in project-timescales. NEVI via partneship with Nepal-famed gender/social-equity pioneer 3 Sisters Trekking Group will construct two rural-solar arrays for charging our-modules, for powering 8-10 EV-vehicles adapted to location-conditions, and provide home-energy-kits for lighting and small-device charging for imroving life-quality in these locations.
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