Cost-effective electricity solutions provider APR Energy believes that rural microgrid installations represent the most significant market opportunity for microgrid technology because of the continued growth of the technology for power supply in developed and undeveloped regions, owing to the value of energy solutions functioning independently from a centralised power grid.

APR Energy regional sales director Mark Makanda notes that there are about 600-million people across sub-Saharan Africa without access to electricity and microgrids are beginning to provide energy for areas that have long been perceived as too difficult or uneconomic to connect to a national grid.
“There have been a substantial number of microgrid applications in sub-Saharan Africa so far. Bringing electricity to these rural areas now means that they have access to proper medical care, lighting for schools, modern irrigation methods and sanitation.”

Further, microgrid installations are also providing an essential tool for local economic development in remote sub-Saharan Africa communities. “The introduction of electricity opens the door to new commercial activities and revenue generation that were previously not feasible . . . In addition, the generation facilities create job opportunities, as locals are hired and trained to operate the system,” Makanda explains.

Southern Africa has produced a number of successful microgrid installations. Robben Island, in Cape Town, and Ascension Island, in the middle of the Atlantic, are running microgrid systems.
“We are also seeing many applications in the industrial sector, such as . . . the Zwartkop and Thabazimbi chrome mines, in Limpopo, which are powered by gas-diesel hybrid micro-grids. This solution combines solar technology with high-speed reciprocating engines to offer the sustainable benefits of renewables and the reliability of conventional backup power,” Makanda highlights.

The backbone of these microgrids consists of mobile power modules that are about the size of a car trailer, which allows for easy transport to remote areas. Once on site, the modules can be installed and running within 30 to 90 days.

These modular plants are scalable to accommodate local power needs and can quickly be ramped up or down according to demand. These plants also offer economic advantages, since they require limited capital investment, with the main cost considerations being land and fuel.