SustainSolar is a reliable and trusted equipment integrator, which could become a great partner for mini-grid roll-out in the region, said Riccardo Ridolfi, CEO at Equatorial Power
Despite the challenges of covid-19 lockdown, SustainSolar delivered their Sustain Compact™ to Idjwi Island on Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Sustain Compact™ is a 20-foot rugged container, equipped with SMA solar and battery inverters and SolarMD batteries with an initial capacity of 29.7 kWp PV and 88.8 kWh Lithium-Ion battery storage. SustainSolar’s plug’n’play solution significantly reduces the operational complexity around sourcing and installing the power generation unit. This leaves our team with more time to focus on the distribution and metering infrastructure and serving customers earlier than usual, says Abishek Bharadwaj, Chief Technical Officer at Equatorial Power.
Equatorial Power, a Uganda-based mini-grid developer that has pioneered off-grid electrification and productive use in the region. They already own and operates a solar mini-grid on Idjwi island since 2019 which serves over 304 households and small businesses. With the new mini-grid development about 30 km from the first site, Equatorial Power will connect an industrial hub and supplementary systems to support growth of agricultural value chains on Idjwi Island; including industrial park ice, local shop refrigerators, egg incubation and juice making with over 20 new connections at the South of the island.
Read more about Equatorial Power and the project on their website here.