- Lumos Global BV, a Dutch company specializing in off-grid solar power, has been awarded a share of a US75 million World Bank-funded grant to roll out quick and simple energy solutions in Nigeria.
- Lumos, which has already fitted more than 100,000 solar home systems around Nigeria, will receive a fee for each new installation from the Rural Electrification Agency.
“The market is enormous”, Lumos Chief Executive Officer Alistair Gordon said by phone of Nigeria’s fast growing population. “Having some assistance with that significant capex outlay and investment through these sorts of grants is a real help.”
The Amsterdam-based company isn’t targeting only rural areas that are not served by the electricity grid but also towns and cities where power outages are frequent and households rely, at least partly, on generators. Lumos’ offering of solar panels and a battery enables families to spend a flat fee of around US15 per month rather than three or four times as much on kerosene or diesel, according to Gordon. The company expects to sign up more than a million households by the middle of next decade, he said.
Lumos distributes its equipment and services in Nigeria through the stores of MTN Group Ltd, the biggest mobile telecommunications operator in the country, charging a US40 joining fee and a US12 installation charge. Customers pay the monthly fee via their mobile phones or the system is shut off.
The Lumos unit runs appliances such as lights, fans, mobile phones and televisions, or – in the case of small businesses – sewing machines and hair clippers, Gordon said.
The grant for standalone systems is part of US350 million raised by Nigeria from the World Bank to increase electrification rates in rural areas. The largest portion of US150 million is dedicated to developing solar mini-grids.
According to NPO Clean Tech Hub which focuses on research, policy development and consumer awareness on climate resilience, 93 million people which equates to roughly 55 % of Nigerians lack access to electricity. Read more
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Source: Lumos Global BV
