ENGIE, a company from the United Kingdom has inaugurated a first solar mini-grid in Zambia to improve electricity access in Zambia This mini-grid will provide energy to households and local businesses and support public services such as the rural health centre and two schools in Chitandika village in Eastern Province. Commenting on this, ENGIE chief executive officer, Isabelle Kocher, said with the installation of this first PowerCorner, the company confirmed its progress in off-grid renewable energy solutions to improve electricity access in Africa. Ms Kocher said within a constantly changing world, it was ENGIE’s role to make a cost-efficient zero-carbon transition possible for the benefit of the African population “At ENGIE, we believe that universal access to electricity is possible in the foreseeable future thanks to a smart combination of national grid extensions, mini-grids and solar home systems, depending on the local characteristics of energy demand.
“ENGIE is already present along the whole spectrum of solutions with its subsidiaries PowerCorner and Fenix for off-grid solutions, and utility-scale grid connected generation such as Kathu, our 100 MW concentrated solar power plant in South Africa,” she said.