Kivu Green Energy tackles one of Africa’s biggest energy gaps

Kivu Green Energy (KGE) is deploying solar PV and storage mini-grids in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to replace expensive and unreliable diesel generation. Operating in challenging environments like North Kivu, KGE provides electricity to homes, businesses, and humanitarian organizations. The company aims to scale its capacity from a 1.3MW project in Goma to 1 GW by 2033 to serve 5 million urban customers, supported by the Energy Access Booster award.

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces severe energy deficits, with 83% of the population lacking electrification and urban access limited to less than 20%. The country has an estimated unmet energy demand of 2,929 MW, despite a potential solar PV capacity of 70 GW.
• Kivu Green Energy (KGE) transitioned a commercial energy provider in Beni, North Kivu, from diesel to solar PV and storage. This included a 35 kW pilot at a university in 2016 and a 55 kW mini-grid in June 2017 that serves over 60 homes, businesses, and organizations.
• KGE's business model utilizes off-grid solar mini-grids with GSM-based smart meters and mobile money payment systems. A planned 1.3MW hybrid mini-grid in Goma is intended to serve 700 households, businesses, and NGO groups.
• KGE has set ambitious scaling targets: installing 25MW of solar-based mini-grids by 2020, reaching 250MW by 2023, and achieving 1 GW by 2033 to serve 5 million urban customers.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2019). Kivu Green Energy tackles one of Africa’s biggest energy gaps. https://www.seforall.org/stories-of-success/kivu-green-energy-tackles-one-of-africas-biggest-energy-gaps

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Kivu Green Energy tackles one of Africa’s biggest energy gaps. 2019. https://www.seforall.org/stories-of-success/kivu-green-energy-tackles-one-of-africas-biggest-energy-gaps.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Kivu Green Energy tackles one of Africa’s biggest energy gaps |date=22 March 2019 |url=https://www.seforall.org/stories-of-success/kivu-green-energy-tackles-one-of-africas-biggest-energy-gaps |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2019kivu, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Kivu Green Energy tackles one of Africa’s biggest energy gaps}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://www.seforall.org/stories-of-success/kivu-green-energy-tackles-one-of-africas-biggest-energy-gaps}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }