- An Imperial-led consortium with partners in Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda, is set to boost community access to solar energy in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The new £3.6million ‘Moving IMPACT: Integrated Means to Power Agriculture, Clean Cooking and Transportation’ project, announced this week, explores how solar mini-grids integrated with electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure can meet agricultural and community energy needs in Sub-Saharan Africa, advancing sustainable energy access and local development.
‘Moving IMPACT’ is led by Imperial College London in collaboration with more than 13 partners from across the university, industry, policy, and public sectors. These include the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) – one of Imperial’s strategic partners, the University of Energy and Natural Resources of Ghana, the University of Rwanda, the Kigali Centre for Collaborative Research in Rwanda, the University of Strathmore in Kenya and the University of Leeds.
The project is funded by the UKRI Ayrton Challenge Programme which aims to enable a transformative transition to low-carbon energy systems in developing countries. It promotes equitable partnerships between UK and in-country researchers to ensure projects are locally relevant and impactful.
‘Moving IMPACT’ brings together researchers from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the Physics Department, and the Centre for Environmental Policy. It also involves three of Imperial’s clean-tech startups.
The project will last for three years starting in January 2025.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
