More than 580 million people live with no access to electricity throughout Africa. A rather large number when one considers unlocking such potential.
The majority of these people live in rural communities where agriculture is central to their local economies.
Without electrical power, farmers are forced to process their harvests very quickly, often using outdated farming techniques and by hand, to prevent produce from going off.
Lack of access to the appropriate machinery makes it challenging to transform these commodities into products that can be stored, transported and then sold, before they perish.
This scenario causes many rural farmers to decrease their farm yields, as these farmers now farm solely for subsistence. This is risky. If there’s a flood or a drought, the harvest is limited, meaning there might not be enough food for the farmers family to eat. Subsistence farming also doesn’t contribute towards economic development in the countries that need it most.
There is a solution. Micro Grid companies provide great opportunities for entrepreneurs to get involved and electrify communities across Africa.
The introduction of Micro Grids creates a direct reduction in cost while increasing revenue, boosting production and creating growth opportunity while improving livelihoods.
The results from a study done by Power Africa are now being piloted in micro grid sites to showcase the process of electrifying activities and the success rates that come with it. This is a win-win for both agricultural activities and power providers. Micro Grid sites can make use of gas turbine driven systems for power generation, such as the systems developed by OPRA, available through Kirton Mechanical Equipment.
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