DRC Green Mini-Grid Program

The Programme will support the development of three solar green mini-grid pilot projects, each with battery storage, aggregating to a capacity of around 30 MW in three towns in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Isiro, Bumba, and Gemena, and to strengthen the enabling regulatory environment for private investment in green mini-grid projects. Key barriers to the provision of appropriate power in DRC include heavy reliance on hydropower generation, of which less than 50% is currently available for generation due to aging infrastructure and lack of maintenance, and the underdeveloped power grid which only covers the southern and the eastern region. This leaves large tracts of the country without access to energy with the result that the population has resorted to unsustainable diesel generator sets which not only poses an environmental challenge but also puts economic pressure on the country’s finances. The proposed programme will address these challenges by demonstrating the viability of mini-grids facilitated through the provision of a standardized procurement and development of an appropriate regulatory process. Successful implementation is expected to spur future development of private sector green mini-grids that not only address the country’s clean energy targets but also reduce the country’s GHG emissions from the energy sector by displacing diesel-based generation across the DRC.