Renewvia Energy Corp. Plans $750M Solar Mini-Grid Expansion in Africa

Atlanta-based Renewvia Energy Corp. Has announced plans to expand its solar-powered mini-grid business into Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company expects the expansion to require approximately $750 million in investment to deliver 2.1 million electricity connections across these four markets.

Trey Jarrard, Chief Executive Officer of Renewvia Solar Africa, stated that the company has already established local entities within the target markets to facilitate early project development.

Existing Operations and Infrastructure

The expansion builds upon Renewvia’s current footprint in Kenya and Nigeria, where the company operates 24 commercial mini-grids. These existing systems range in capacity from 100 kilowatts to 2.5 megawatts.

The company’s current client base includes rural communities and commercial users, as well as major organizations such as Shell, UBA Bank, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Targeted Support for Refugee Settlements

As part of its broader strategy, Renewvia is seeking $45 million in concessional financing to address energy needs in two of the world’s largest refugee settlements: Kakuma and Dadaab.

The requested funding is intended to expand a metro-grid in Kakuma and develop a new renewable energy plant in Dadaab. These specific projects could increase electricity access within the settlements fivefold, potentially reaching more than 550,000 people.

Addressing the Sub-Saharan Energy Gap

The initiative comes at a time when nearly 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to electricity. To combat this, the Mission 300 initiative, backed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, aims to connect 300 million people to power by 2030.

Distributed power sources like mini-grids are increasingly viewed as a practical alternative to national grids, which are often costly and slow to extend into rural areas, border towns, and settlements. What we have is particularly true in countries characterized by large territories, dispersed communities, and weak utilities.

Solar mini-grids provide a mechanism to power critical infrastructure in remote areas, including:

• Schools and clinics
• Farms and commercial businesses
• Rural residential communities
• Refugee settlements

Financial and Operational Challenges

Despite the market opportunity, the implementation of large-scale mini-grid networks depends heavily on sustainable financing. Because many customers require affordable tariffs, private operators need long-term capital to build systems before they can generate significant revenue.

The company’s reliance on concessional loans, guarantees, and support from development institutions highlights the financial complexity of the sector. Beyond capital, private operators must navigate several operational risks across different jurisdictions, including:

• Local government regulations
• Land access rights
• Payment collection systems
• Equipment costs
• Currency exchange risks

The scale of Renewvia’s $750 million target suggests a shift toward private-sector led distributed power as a primary method for closing the energy gap, necessitating cooperation between private operators, governments, and development banks.