The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) has approved funding to support the Rural Energy Access Lab (REAL) with a Booster Grant of EUR 500,000 to develop rural pre-grid electrification programmes in 10 African countries.
This grant contributes to the REAL multi-donor facility and will finance preparation activities aimed at scaling sustainable pre-grid electrification projects designed to provide universal energy access. It will support the REAL initiative to launch, develop, seed, scale, and operate these programmes.
As part of its preparation activities, REAL project partners launched pilot projects in Malawi, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to rigorously test key elements of the Energy-as-a-Service model.
Additionally, REAL project partners are actively engaging with government officials in each country to design and prepare for scaling up the pilots and, ultimately, to launch nationwide programmes once the REAL Facility is operational.
The REAL Facility will serve as an umbrella fund to raise capital for country-level facilities. These will co-finance and support asset and operational companies responsible for the management and operation of 10 scalable pre-grid electrification programmes.
The NDF grant will be allocated to three key areas of the preparation activities:
- Pilots and in-country project development
- Setting up the REAL Facility
- Developing REAL activity and stakeholder engagement
In addition to providing financial support, NDF will actively collaborate with REAL, drawing on its extensive experience in launching and scaling facilities. This includes sharing technical insights and lessons learned to strengthen the capacity of the facility and ensure effective implementation.
By 2030, REAL aims to catalyse pre-grid electrification projects in 10 hard-to-reach countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, deploying Tier 1 solar systems to 50 million people who will benefit from access to energy-as-a-service.
“REAL’s pioneering approach to rural pre-grid electrification brings together donors, governments, funders, manufacturers, and local operators in a new model that has the potential to achieve sustainable, universal energy access. We thank the NDF for their commitment to fund REAL’s preparatory work to scale our initiative, help us accelerate progress toward this urgent goal, and ensure no one is left behind,” says John Keane, REAL Founding Partner and CEO of SolarAid.
“Access to reliable energy is a fundamental driver for development and climate solutions. Yet, in many rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, it remains out of reach. We’re proud to support REAL with a Booster Grant, supporting their environmentally sustainable model and access to energy through locally-led, innovative solutions. We look forward to seeing the meaningful impact REAL will create in the regions where these activities are needed the most,” says Satu Santala, NDF Managing Director.
About NDF
The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) is the joint Nordic international finance institution of the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. NDF focuses on the nexus between climate change and development in lower-income countries and countries in fragile situations. Since the introduction of the climate mandate in 2009, NDF has built a track record of adding value by financing climate mitigation and adaptation projects in close interaction with its extensive network of strategic partners. Learn more: www.ndf.int
About REAL
The Rural Energy Access Lab (REAL) is an independent not-for-profit initiative launched by SolarAid in collaboration with Easy Solar and Moon. REAL works with governments in sub-Saharan Africa to develop public-private partnerships and scale pre-grid electrification programmes that rapidly connect hard-to-reach households to sustainable energy.
For more information, please visit REAL: https://www.realenergyaccesslab.org/
Contact: info@realenergyaccesslab.org
Source: REAL