- Under the terms of the agreement, EDF holds a 50% stake in BBOXX Togo.
- BBOXX has operating in Togo since 2017 providing solar home systems including batteries which is transacted through mobile money.
- The two partners are aiming for a market share of 35% in Togo by 2024 and are also planning to work together in other African countries.
Next generation utility company BBOXX, has partnered with UK’s integrated energy company EDF to develop and market solutions for access to off-grid electricity in Togo. The agreement was signed last Friday in Lomé, in the presence of the President of the Togolese Republic, Faure Gnassignabé.
Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and co-founder of BBOXX, commented: “Our latest deal with EDF symbolises the first stepping stone in a strong strategic partnership. It will see us work together to bring smart and sustainable energy solutions and other vital utilities and value-added services to the underserved.”
The partnership will provide a reliable, affordable and CO2-free contribution to the government’s electrification programme, known as ‘CIZO’, which aims to supply over five hundred thousand households with solar home systems by 2030.
BBOXX has been operating in the Togolese market since 2017; as a key partner in the CIZO programme, the company has already supplied electricity to 26,000 Togolese. The company has opened 20 shops and directly employs around 100 people. Their solar home systems include solar panels supplied with batteries to store electricity and payable with mobile money.
Under the terms of the agreement, EDF holds a 50% stake in BBOXX Togo. In addition to the investment required to speed up the deployment of the solar home systems, the EDF Group will also provide its technical know-how to improve battery performance.
According to a joint media statement, EDF Group has been actively strengthening this area of expertise as part of its Electricity Storage Plan, aiming to develop storage capacity of 10GW worldwide by 2035. EDF’s R&D department will also test and certify solar kit components. The two partners are aiming for a market share of 35% in Togo by 2024 and are also planning to work together in other African countries.
Valerie Levkov, EDF’s Senior Vice-President in charge of Africa and Middle East stated: “By teaming up with BBOXX in Togo, the EDF Group has embarked on a new stage of development of its off-grid activities in Africa, which has been constantly speeded up since our Ivory Coast subsidiary, Zeci, was set up less than two years ago.
“We are proud to work with a partner like BBOXX, which shares our commitment to low carbon energies. The partnership that has just been set up fits in with the EDF strategy CAP 2030, whose main purpose is to triple our activities outside Europe.”
Author: Babalwa Bungane
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
