DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Project Zephattan: Demonstrating three wind-generator technologies to power e-mobility charging in West Africa and the Pacific

Project disclaimer

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Description

Small-scale transport forms 50% of all road-traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa (McKinsey,2023), and +80% of Pacific island communities own a motorbike (ImpactEntrpreneur) which can be electrified economically and quickly to save ~253 million-tonnes of carbon emissions (CO2e) per year (OurWorldinData). Small-scale transport electrification in large parts of Africa and the Pacific however is held-back by inadequate electricity grid capacity. Fossil-fuel generators are increasingly called-upon to fill the gaps in intermittent-grid electricity supply, and to service off-grid electric vehicle (EV) charging. Project Zephattan will showcase the potential of three scalable zero-emission wind-based generator technologies in Côte d'Ivoire and Fiji to supply sufficient power to charge ~400 e-mobility batteries/day suitable for electric motorbikes/scooters, small boat outboards and drones. The project will demonstrate wind-generators' readiness to power remote and off-grid African and Pacific island electricity needs, and can save ~500-tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions in six-months of field testing. British SME and e-mobility chargepoint developer Aegis Energy is leading the project and will demonstrate: 5 x 1.5kW low-cost "Energy in a Box" (EnergyBox) wind generators using only locally available recycled materials built by women and youth in four rural communities in Côte d'Ivoire. 1 x 5kW British-built, high-resilience/low-maintenance mixed wind/solar helical wind-funnel "Monopod" with 86kWh battery supplied by subcontractor Amphibious Energy, to be installed and tested in Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire. 1 x 14kW US-built, highly-portable mixed wind/solar "Mobile Power Station" (MPS) with 20kWh battery supplied by subcontractor Uprise Energy, to be transported and tested in a range of locations across Fiji. Aegis is collaborating with Abidjan-based local gender and social inclusion programming specialist and community-wind entrepreneur KOC Bridges to Peace, and Suva-based renewables development finance specialist Leaf Capital. Licensing and innovation agreements are in place with specialist wind-turbine suppliers Amphibious Energy and Uprise Energy. Project Zephattan meets use-cases currently served by fossil-fuel gensets in Côte d'Ivoire and Fiji: 1) off-grid battery charging, and 2) grid backup power. EnergyBox generators installed in Ivorian villages will demonstrate the ability of small-scale wind generators to replace gas generators at off-grid 12 volt battery charging stations. Monopod wind+solar and Uprise-MPS wind+solar in Côte d'Ivoire and Fiji will demonstrate higher-power and grid-backup generation. The project will test whether low-cost, locally-sourced technology like EnergyBox can deliver accessible, affordable, and reliable energy to small-scale electric vehicle chargepoints, or whether higher-specification products and components like those supplied in the Monopod and Uprise-MPS may need to be incorporated into Aegis' chargepoint designs.

Objectives

Small-scale transport forms 50% of all road-traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa (McKinsey,2023), and +80% of Pacific island communities own a motorbike (ImpactEntrpreneur) which can be electrified economically and quickly to save ~253 million-tonnes of carbon emissions (CO2e) per year (OurWorldinData). Small-scale transport electrification in large parts of Africa and the Pacific however is held-back by inadequate electricity grid capacity. Fossil-fuel generators are increasingly called-upon to fill the gaps in intermittent-grid electricity supply, and to service off-grid electric vehicle (EV) charging. Project Zephattan will showcase the potential of three scalable zero-emission wind-based generator technologies in Côte d'Ivoire and Fiji to supply sufficient power to charge ~400 e-mobility batteries/day suitable for electric motorbikes/scooters, small boat outboards and drones. The project will demonstrate wind-generators' readiness to power remote and off-grid African and Pacific island electricity needs, and can save ~500-tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions in six-months of field testing. British SME and e-mobility chargepoint developer Aegis Energy is leading the project and will demonstrate: 5 x 1.5kW low-cost "Energy in a Box" (EnergyBox) wind generators using only locally available recycled materials built by women and youth in four rural communities in Côte d'Ivoire. 1 x 5kW British-built, high-resilience/low-maintenance mixed wind/solar helical wind-funnel "Monopod" with 86kWh battery supplied by subcontractor Amphibious Energy, to be installed and tested in Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire. 1 x 14kW US-built, highly-portable mixed wind/solar "Mobile Power Station" (MPS) with 20kWh battery supplied by subcontractor Uprise Energy, to be transported and tested in a range of locations across Fiji. Aegis is collaborating with Abidjan-based local gender and social inclusion programming specialist and community-wind entrepreneur KOC Bridges to Peace, and Suva-based renewables development finance specialist Leaf Capital. Licensing and innovation agreements are in place with specialist wind-turbine suppliers Amphibious Energy and Uprise Energy. Project Zephattan meets use-cases currently served by fossil-fuel gensets in Côte d'Ivoire and Fiji: 1) off-grid battery charging, and 2) grid backup power. EnergyBox generators installed in Ivorian villages will demonstrate the ability of small-scale wind generators to replace gas generators at off-grid 12 volt battery charging stations. Monopod wind+solar and Uprise-MPS wind+solar in Côte d'Ivoire and Fiji will demonstrate higher-power and grid-backup generation. The project will test whether low-cost, locally-sourced technology like EnergyBox can deliver accessible, affordable, and reliable energy to small-scale electric vehicle chargepoints, or whether higher-specification products and components like those supplied in the Monopod and Uprise-MPS may need to be incorporated into Aegis' chargepoint designs.

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Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

Fiji

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