EDP funds nine projects that promote energy access in four African countries

EDP, ALER's member, will support nine more projects that promote access to renewable energy in remote and vulnerable communities in four African countries: Mozambique, Nigeria, Angola and Malawi. The total funding of one million euros - guaranteed by the A2E Fund (Access to Energy) - will have a direct impact in priority areas such as health, agriculture, education and access to drinking water, involving more than one million direct and indirect beneficiaries.

The use of decentralised solar energy and energy storage technologies are at the basis of all the projects selected in this fourth edition of A2E Fund, in a total of 158 applications. Among these projects, there is, for example, a system of solar suitcases that supply energy to maternity hospitals, micro-electric grids to supply clinical posts, solar systems for agricultural production or cold storage in local markets.

EDP thus reinforces its social impact strategy, promoting energy inclusion in more disadvantaged territories. In the case of Africa, which represents around 70% of the world's population without access to electricity, this support is another contribution to meeting the needs of decarbonisation, climate action and access to energy.

Nigeria, with four projects, and Mozambique, with three, are once again the countries with the most proposals selected in this fourth edition of the A2E Fund.

In Mozambique, the entities selected were the Educafrica Association (electrification of school and community equipment in a fishing island), ADPP Mozambique (refrigeration system for fish market) and Fundación Energia sin Fronteras (electrification of an orphanage farm). Fundación Cuerama, with a project for the electrification of equipment serving a community, is the selected promoter in Angola, and aQysta Malawi, with a solar powered agricultural processing system, is the chosen project in Malawi.

With this fourth edition of the A2E Fund - a corporate social responsibility fund that doubled the amount of funding to 1 million euros in 2022 - EDP continues the program started in 2018. In the three previous editions, the fund has already provided a total of 1.5 million euros to support 20 projects in seven African countries (Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania) that have contributed to improving the lives of 80,000 people and indirectly, more than one million. A positive impact that is reinforced in this new edition of the program, which is estimated to benefit directly more than 40 thousand people and indirectly more than 900 thousand in these territories.

Mozambique

Associação Educafrica

On Mbenguelene Island, 160 families live isolated and without electricity, with only one transport boat available. In this community, which lives from fishing and agriculture, 80 children learn under hoses and there is a high level of teacher absenteeism due to the fact that they do not have a place to live during the school year. Educafrica wants to change this reality by providing clean energy to the new school facilities and teachers' house that it has started to build, allowing students to improve their education and teachers to have dignified living conditions, with lighting in the house, a water pump or a refrigerator. In addition, the population will have a boat with an electric motor, which will allow them to transport people and goods more quickly and easily.

ADPP Mozambique

Fishing activity in the Cahora Bassa region has a significant social impact for more than 10,300 people, as it contributes to food security, employment and family income. However, fishers have limited access to specialized equipment and markets and are not prepared to participate in management models. In addition, the number of market infrastructure is restricted and the sales volume is very small. How to change this? Equipping fishermen with solar powered refrigeration and freezing machines is the first step. The project will also provide a solar energy system and equipment to a fish market. This change promotes a new entrepreneurial mindset among fishermen and aims to help increase fishermen's income and resilience to the impact of climate change.

Fundación Energia sin Fronteras

As manager of 500 hectares of agricultural land, Casa do Gaiato provides a source of food for vegetables (corn, potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, cabbages...) and meat (chickens, pigs, calves, etc.) for the children and young people on the estate, as well as for the 165 women and their families who live in the surrounding area of the farm known as the Fazenda. To reduce high electricity costs, as well as supply failures, and eliminate the use of polluting fuels such as diesel, a photovoltaic solar system and another storage system will be installed on the agricultural area of this orphanage, and at the school, which will now have a sustainable and reliable energy supply at affordable prices.

Angola

Fundação Cuerama

In the heart of Kwanza Sul province, the community of Cuerama suffers from isolation, the lack of roads to nearby villages and access to a telecommunications network. Reversing this scenario has become a priority for the Cuerama Foundation since 2015. To provide a better service the community will provide clean energy to the new facilities, such as the medical centre (for vaccine refrigeration, diagnostic equipment), the primary school and the school canteen (food preservation), among other interventions. Around 5,000 people will benefit from this project, which will also enhance the possibility of working with machinery and electrical equipment in carpentry, sewing, basketry, pottery, agriculture, and the artisanal production of soap.