FORTIS UNUM: CLUSTERING MINI-GRID NETWORKS TO WIDEN ENERGY ACCESS AND ENHANCE UTILITY NETWORK RESILIENCE

Completed

Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Development Studies)
AREA STUDIES (Middle Eastern and African Studies)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting
Systems Analysis related to energy R&D (Energy modelling)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy)

Professor AS Bahaj
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment
University of Southampton

Standard

EPSRC

01 May 2018

31 March 2022

47 months

£1,019,193

Energy

South East

Global Challenges Research Fund - EPSRC

Professor AS Bahaj, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton

Dr PAB James, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton
Dr K K G Kaberere, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya
Dr P M Karimi, Institute of Energy Studies and Research, Kenya
Mr C Maende, Institute of Energy Studies and Research, Kenya
Mr C Ndungu, Institute of Energy Studies and Research, Kenya

Project Contact, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (Kenya)
Project Contact, Rural Electrification Agency, Uganda
Project Contact, Pan Africa University
Project Contact, Rural Electrification Authority (REA), Zambia

To support the requirements of the call, this application will utilise existing work related to five mini grids and their networks deployed previously in Uganda and Kenya. It brings together collaborations between researchers and research users that have interest in sustainable energy systems, resilient networks and energy access. To date, it is estimated that around 1.2 billion people, representing 16% of the global population, have no access to electricity with many more having no reliable electricity supply. Most of these people live in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and south Asian countries. Overall access to electricity in SSA is estimated to be around 15.3%, decreasing to 4% in rural areas. As 80% of the SSA population lives in rural areas, extending the grid is prohibitively expensive and rural areas are unlikely to be served through this route in the near future. In addition, load-shedding and blackouts from unreliable national grids are estimated to lower GDP growth by 2%. The lack of access to electricity in the targeted countries and beyond hampers economic activity, trapping communities in poverty. Hence, innovative and less capital intensive solutions such as sustainable energy mini grid networks will be needed to alleviate these challenges, provide growth, and invigorate rural communities.Expansion of rural electricity solutions is compromised by low population densities and very low incomes (affordability) coupled with low tariffs set by the subsidised utility network in urban areas. It is now widely accepted that mini-grids (electrical power generation, transmission and distribution) have an important role to play in delivering electricity access to rural communities. The focus of this project is sustainable energy driven electricity networks geared to promote the short and long-term sustainable growth in Sub Saharan Africa focusing on Kenya and Uganda. This project will build on our 10 years' experience of research and development in delivering modular solar photovoltaic (PV) driven power generation and distribution systems in rural areas on these countries. We will build on such collaborations to create new and appropriate knowledge, and capacity building, focussing on sustainable and resilient local energy networks, including off-grid networks and their transition to the national grid. This research will address mini grid networks in various modes - (a) isolated (b) connected to the national grid and (c) with multiple networks connected and working jointly. Clustering mini grids will form wider networks with greater stability and lower Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE), while linking such clusters to the national grid could provide support the near end of line utility network. This research will be underpinned by field studies on the applicants' five existing mini grids in Kenya and Uganda and will consider over 400 mini-grids in planning in these countries.

13/11/18