The PowerPath project (full name: ‘Towards a new power infrastructure development path for rural Africa’) was initiated in May-June 2023 when a consortium of 5 institutions:
- Technovative Solutions: a technology incubator focused on sustainability, process automation and monitoring
- Nanoé: a company that develops nanogrids; collective solar systems that deliver power to 4-6 households, to become the dominant player in the Madagascar, East Africa and South African markets
- Materials Innovation Centre (MatIC): strategic partnership between TWI and the University of Leicester working on novel materials characterisation, modelling and development
- TWI: a global research and technology organisation
- The Power Hub: a company focused on reducing carbon footprints and promoting a more sustainable planet
These organisations all came together to apply for grant funding from the Innovate UK competition Energy Catalyst Round 10: Mid Stage. The funding competition invited organisations to apply for a share of up to £10 million in total across the 3 stages, to create new or improved clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the Indo-Pacific regions.
On the project start date of 1 April 2024, the PowerPath consortium was awarded £931,206 to deliver a new power infrastructure development path for rural Africa by developing and demonstrating a set of technological, social and business model innovations serving the emergence of a new electrification model named "Lateral Electrification" in Northern Madagascar.
Over the past 24 months, the consortium has worked to implement this new electrification model, powered by renewable energies, information and communication technologies and local entrepreneurship. The goal was to surpass the shortcomings of the two current rural electrification models implemented on the continent:
- the building and operation of conventional AC grid solutions, including national grid extension, microgrids and minigrids which was only able to reach a very limited portion of unelectrified communities in highly-densed areas to be economically viable,
- the manufacturing and distribution of individual power solutions: Solar-Home-Systems, Solar-Kits, Diesel-Genset which was unable to foster productive use of energy and economic growth.
Following-on from the IMPHORAA project that focused on the development of solar nano-grid solutions integrating optimised water-pumping and cooling capabilities and their pilot deployment in Madagascar and the Philippines as the first step of the lateral electrification model, and focusing on interconnection solutions for these nano-grids, the PowerPath project acts as the second step of the model.
Tapping into the expertise of its respective partner institutions to secure business growth and long-term productivity, PowerPath’s outcomes allowed project partner Nanoé to extend its market position in Madagascar thanks to an extended portfolio of electrification options suitable for every context; from solar nanogrids to DC balancing microgrids. Technovative Solutions Ltd TWI, and The Power Hub Ltd extended their networks internationally, re-igniting new connections with their already established networks, while engaging with UK companies to seek to reduce their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. At the forefront of metallic materials research, the University of Leicester strengthened its position as a research and innovation actor in solutions for maximising the efficiency of renewables.
The consortium is looking to apply for other grant funding opportunities to further develop the work performed during the time of PowerPath.