The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) was awarded "Power Transaction of the Year" by the East African Power Industry. The award comes from SEFA’s role in financing the development of an independent solar hybrid mini-grid project in rural Tanzania.
SEFA received its prize at the awards gala held on August 27 during the East African Power Industry’s annual convention in Nairobi.
At the end of 2014, SEFA approved a preparation grant for JV, Jumeme-Rural Power Supply Ltd (JRPS), to develop a mini-grid project using predominately solar energy to expand rural electrification in the northwestern part of the country. The first phase of the project is aimed at helping 16 gain access to modern energy services. An additional 500 new businesses are also expected to be created following the implementation of the first phase of the project.
MD of Terra Projects Renewable Energy, Leo Schiefermueller, one of the three partners of the project said, "SEFA is a key partner in the successful implementation of our rural electrification projects in Tanzania which will provide energy services to hundreds of thousands of people in the coming years."
Following a call for proposals which closed in July, SEFA launched the first grant phase of a green mini-grid (GMG) market development program which will be implemented by the SE4All (Sustainable Energy for All) Africa Hub. The program will support the efforts of relevant stakeholders such as governments and project developers to create a favorable enabling environment for scaling up mini-grid investment and strengthen the ecosystem for the emergence of a thriving GMG sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.