Virunga Power
Virunga Power is a renewable energy company that is developing, investing, and operating pioneering rural electricity projects in Africa
In December 2022, we announced our investment of up to $50 million in Virunga Power. The company works closely with local developers to deliver and scale projects that provide electricity to rural users and enable sustainable economic growth.
Virunga Power uses run-of-river hydropower technology to provide low-cost, 24/7 electricity
Virunga Power’s team has extensive experience in designing, developing and operating renewable energy projects in challenging environments.
The company typically focuses on projects of up to 20 MW, as well as associated distribution networks to provide access to energy in rural areas, and to reinforce national grid stability.
The company’s approach is centred around working with local communities to develop long term, sustainable solutions. They partner with local entrepreneurs, community organisations and government agencies to identify and develop green energy projects that are tailored to the specific needs of communities. Virunga Power works in Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia today.
In numbers...
Why we invested in Virunga Power
Rural electrification is highly impactful but incredibly challenging.
We see our investment in Virunga Power as an opportunity to build a scaleable, sustainable, green utility business to alleviate rural energy poverty.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals highlight the importance of widening energy access. Our investment in Virunga Power will serve as a catalytic example to the sector.
Expected impact
- The development impact of the investment will include increasing the amount of renewable generation in rural contexts (GWh served), increasing the number of users connected to grid-quality electricity, and reducing carbon emissions.
- The investment will fund both hydropower generation projects as well as distributed electricity grids to serve customers across Virunga Power’s markets.
“Virunga Power has the potential to transform rural communities in Africa by providing them with grid-quality, low-cost, 24/7 electricity to drive economic growth. We’re investing in Virunga Power because we believe they can become Africa’s first large-scale, private utility to sustainably operate in a rural context. In doing so they can demonstrate the viability of rural infrastructure investment.”
Shaun Githuku
Gridworks
“At Virunga Power, we believe that renewable energy is not just a solution to energy poverty, but also a catalyst for economic growth and social development. Our mission is to transform the energy landscape in East and southern Africa by providing reliable, clean, and affordable energy to rural areas that have not been well served by the grid. We’ll use Gridworks’ capital to expand electricity access and drive economic and industrial growth in communities across the region.”
Brian Kelly
Virunga Power
More on Virunga Power
Video: Virunga Power: Bringing clean power to rural communities