Husk Power receives $500,000 grant from Acumen to expand renewable energy access

Husk Power Systems and Acumen have announced a $500,000 grant from Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach (H2R) initiative to support Husk Power’s entry into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This funding will drive the company’s efforts to expand decentralized renewable energy solutions in the DRC, a country with the world’s second-largest population lacking access to electricity. The announcement was made during the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam.

Husk Power’s move into the DRC represents a significant step in its ‘Africa Sunshot’ initiative, which aims to install 2,500 solar minigrids across the continent by 2030. First unveiled at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit, the initiative is focused on bringing affordable, reliable energy to underserved regions. Husk already operates the largest fleet of community solar minigrids in Nigeria, where an estimated 90 million people remain off-grid.

“This catalytic support from H2R is a critical piece of the puzzle for scaling community solar minigrids in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the World Bank has identified minigrids as the most cost-effective solution to electrify 380 million people,” said Manoj Sinha, CEO and Co-Founder of Husk Power. “We look forward to partnering closely with the government to scale our solutions in the DRC on an accelerated timeline and directly contribute to the goals of Mission 300—a World Bank and African Development Bank initiative to electrify 300 million people by 2030.”

Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach (H2R) initiative, launched to electrify 72 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade, focuses on supporting solar energy solutions in underserved markets.

“We are thrilled to support Husk’s expansion into the DRC at this crucial time, as it has the potential to transform lives by creating millions of affordable and clean energy connections in a highly underserved market where nearly 80 million people still lack electricity,” said Sandra Halilovic, Head of Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach Development Facility. “Husk’s expansion into the DRC could be a game-changer by bringing light and opportunity to communities that have been left behind.”

The $500,000 grant will be used to establish Husk Power’s corporate presence in the DRC, obtain essential government approvals, develop a strong pipeline of decentralized renewable energy (DRE) projects, and construct its first minigrids in the country. This funding is expected to significantly advance energy equity in the DRC, paving the way for transformative renewable energy access in one of the world’s most energy-deprived regions.