Tag Archives: renewable energy

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

The German Investment and Asset Management company KGAL has taken a twenty percent ownership position in SunErgy through a private placement. With an option to increase their ownership.

Two of the members of the Management Board of KGAL, Chief Operation Officer Gert Waltenbauer and Chief Investment Officer Klaus Wolf, also concluded a parallel investment of two percent. Dr. Wolf will also join the SunErgy Board of Directors.

“We are very pleased for KGAL to join us,” says Chairman of the Board of Directors and one of the main shareholders, Alf Bjørseth, who continues “KGAL is an investment firm with twenty billion EUR under management. They are active in real estate, airplane leasing and renewable energy, owning several solar parks in Europe. They have been studying the potential of the off-grid solar market and solar energy companies being active in Africa for some time. We are proud that they finally selected us.”

“The money from KGAL will be used for continued expansion. Our goal is to have one million users within eight years and be one of the leading off-grid solar energy companies in Africa. So far, focus has been on Cameroon with the intention to expand into a couple of more countries, preferably in West Africa,” Bjørseth concludes.

As previously informed, eight solar power stations will be opened this year, giving electricity to more than 20 000 people. In addition, we will deliver solar power electricity to mobile companies for operating their mobile towers, minor private and public enterprises, schools and health centers. 

The African off-grid market is enormous. We are all set to go. We have built the infrastructure, made all agreements necessary and tested the equipment. The first four villages have been up and running for some time. Everything works as planned and we are, together with our 42 colleagues in SunErgy Cameroon, not only ready to roll out; we are going full steam ahead”.

FOUR MORE VILLAGES

During the International Solar Day 2018, held in Oslo on May 16, we signed the agreement for the purchase of four more villages; this in addition to the two already delivered. 

The International Solar Day is an annual event gathering representatives from the Norwegian solar industry, sponsored by Norwegian Energy Partners and Solar Energy Cluster Norway.

The picture shows Mr. Morten Schøyen, CMO at Eltek and Dr. Stein Skjørshammer CEO of SunErgy signing the agreement; Eltek being the “solar equipment” supplier.

We shall “electrify” eight villages this year. No shortage of work. With the equipment for the next six villages ordered and delivered, we are well under way.

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MUNDONGO NEXT

Enclosed is a picture of Mundongo, the next village to be “switched on”. Work is going full speed ahead with the solar powerhouse and the site finished. Soon the dedicated people of SunErgy Cameroon will start building the grid, wiring the homes getting ready to switch on the lights with almost 600 families or 3 600 people having access to electricity, cable TV and Internet. Moving forward! One village at the time.

70 children – 12 Big Macs

It was much happiness and joy when we finished and opened the solar power station at Bishop Judith Craig`s Children’s Village outside the capital city Monrovia, Liberia. Children and staff were jubilant!

70 children, some who were made orphans during the Ebola epidemic that plagued the country in 2014, live in the village together with the staff. On the same campus is also a school with more than 600 children. As of last Friday (Oct . 26) the people at the village and the school can enjoy electricity as it was switched on.

Below are some pictures taken by our engineer Piotr Kwasowski, who was responsible for the installation. The pictures are from the village and the opening ceremony. The ribbon was cut jointly by the bishop of the United Methodist Church in Liberia, Bishop Quire and a former resident at the village, Mason, who was one of the first children at the opening of the village some 20 years ago and their first university graduate.  The two holding the ribbon is Debbie and Aron who will graduate from the school next spring, leaving the village to continue their university education. Both want to study medicine to become medical doctors “so we can help  the people and our country”.

Back to the 70 children and the 12 Big Macs! The total cost to keep a child at the village (food, lodging, education, etc.)  adds up to 1 USD  per day while  the price of a Big Mac in Norway is almost 6 USD (5.91 USD to be correct). Comparing the two numbers; 12 Big Macs pays for 70 children for one day. The idea of comparing the children and the Big Macs is not to give a feeling of guilt or keeping anyone away from enjoying their Big Mac, rather to remind ourselves and put the Big Macs into a different perspective from what we are used to. Or in a historical perspective, think of the billions of Big Macs that has been bought and enjoyed since the start of MacDonald’s in 1948 in its more than 36.900 restaurants with more than 1.5 million employees in over 100 countries around the world. We don`t even want to start calculating; only one days consumption of Big Macs would be mind-boggling.  It may be a crazy calculation and comparison, but sometimes it is good to be a little crazy in our thinking. Outside the box! And besides, the divide between failure and success is all too often shockingly slim; in this case, just a few hamburgers.

Finally, this whole project was sponsored and paid for by the United Methodist Church, Board of Global Ministries in Norway. We were just grateful being selected to do the job based upon our experiences in Africa.

SWITCHING ON LIGHTS IN KOTTO 1

In previous articles I reported on the work going on in the village of Kotto 1 and switching on the lights, promising a video from the glorious event. Here it is for you to enjoy and share!

DONE!

I am happy to share a few pictures from the “Grand Opening” of Kotto 1.

We have to admit that Kotto 1 was a tough one! The grid covers more than 3 square kilometers brining electricity and cable TV to some 3 500 people.  As far as we know it is, if not the largest, certainly one of the largest off-grid village solar power systems in the world and for sure, in the rain forest. It was a real challenge. We worked diligently and at the absolute fringes of our knowledge. But we succeeded! It`s done!

At the “Grand Opening”, the chief of Kotto 1 said, “today we live our forefathers dreams. What they dreamt about and hoped for generations, but never got to see, we experience. Now we can live as other people in the world! Darkness is gone. Light is here and with it a brighter and better future!”

A team from HiTV was with us for a couple of days when switching on the electricity. As soon as the video is ready we will post!

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GETTING READY

Enclosed are the latest pictures from Kotho 1, taken today.

The pictures show the solar park and the batteries installed. We will start charging the batteries next week getting ready for September 8. Do we need to tell that the whole village is filled with excitement and expectations? 8 of September cannot come soon enough! Generations of waiting are over. Light is here. Hopes and dream coming through!

A big applause and salute to Mr. Mike Fohba, Managing Director of SunErgy Cameroon and his team! They have been working hard and diligently under extreme condition, this being the rainy season.

Guys, we salute you! You are real heroes!

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