KarmSolar, a firm that develops and distributes solar energy, has announced the creation of the Farafra Solar Grid, its second grid solution after the Marsa Alam Solar Grid, which will supply all of the load for customers.

A 3.4 MWp solar PV plant, 3.7 MVA diesel generators, and a 4 MWh/1 MW solar battery storage system will make up Phase 1 of the Farafra Solar Grid and will be installed under KarmSolar’s SPV, Mars for Selling and Distributing Electricity. To offset a total of about 5,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, the project will allow for about 60% solar penetration with the goal of reaching 100% in three years.

Farafra Solar Grid is a first-of-its-kind microgrid solution that employs solar PV panels, battery storage, and diesel generators in a centralised setup while operating under a usufruct agreement. It aims to be fully operational by Q3 2023 and then distributes the generated electricity to various off-takers. Juhayna and Nawa are the present clients for Phase 1 of Agricultural Investment, but there is plenty of space for future expansion to include more operational clients in this region.

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“The kickoff of the Farafra Solar Grid enables us to achieve our vision of extending affordable, reliable solar energy to relatively inaccessible parts of the country. It is very refreshing to see institutions like HSBC willing to focus their efforts and trust towards investing in nonconventional projects like the Farafra Solar Grid.”- KarmSolar’s Co-founder and CEO Ahmed Zahran commented.

With the assistance of Ezdaher Financial Consultancy, HSBC provided debt finance for the solar grid project in the amount of EGP 83 million for phase 1. Yasmin Farid, Head of Small and Medium Enterprises and Business Banking, HSBC Bank Egypt, said, “HSBC is committed to supporting and financing the transition to secure a net zero future by helping our clients access sustainable and innovative finance solutions across all business sectors so they can make the investments needed to achieve their net zero goals.

“Through our partnership with Kamsolar, we are delighted to have successfully implemented a unique project that provides solar power to Alfarfra Farm. This project not only promotes sustainability but also provides a reliable source of energy that will enable us to become more efficient and effective in our operations. We are proud to be setting an example of sustainability for other businesses to emulate, as well as creating a positive impact on the communities we serve.” said Ali Al-Shareef, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sisban For Agricultural Investment, Nawa’s mother company.

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This initiative focuses on the Farafra region’s agriculture industry, which is notorious for using ineffective, dispersed diesel generator sets. By offering cheaper kilowatt hours and competitive prices, the Fararfra Solar Grid will enable clients’ energy costs to be significantly reduced as well as remove the burden of infrastructure, maintenance, and management operations on the farmers. This will allow for more efficient optimization, which will reduce carbon footprint and CO2 offset.

KarmSolar KarmSolar

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

KarmSolar, a leading solar energy company and multi-utility enterprise in Egypt, has secured EGP47 million in funding from Qatar National Bank ALAHLI (QNB ALAHLI) for the first financed solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) battery storage system in Egypt, with advisory led by Ezdaher Financial Advisory, an Egypt-based debt advisory firm.

This is part of a Phase 2 extension of KarmSolar’s current solar microgrid system for the Cairo 3A chicken farm complex in Giza, Egypt’s Bahareya Oasis.

Phase 2 of the project includes the installation of a battery storage system supplied by worldwide solar technology firm Sungrow, as well as an extension of the capacity of the current solar station. This renovation has greatly increased the percentage of energy consumption generated by solar, bringing the project’s PV share to 50%. With industry standards hovering around 30%, this project is regarded as a cutting-edge renewable energy initiative and innovation.

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Ahmed Zahran, KarmSolar’s Co-Founder and CEO, said, “Egypt’s first financed solar battery PPA project is a monumental step for the renewable energy sector in the region, and we are delighted to partner with QNB ALAHLI on this project.” KarmSolar’s CFO, Nabil Kammoun added, “There is rising interest from established financial institutions to explore and support advanced solar technologies. This new milestone will definitely boost the deployment of battery solutions in Egypt and across the region on a much larger scale.’’

KarmSolar is continuing its decarbonization efforts to provide Cairo 3A’s consumption with the greatest amount of renewable energy while also substituting a significant percentage of Cairo 3A’s demands with solar energy. This is in line with the COP27’s pledge to slow down decarbonization and promote the use of renewable energy sources.

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Mohamed Bedeir, QNBALHLI CEO commented, “In accordance with Egypt’s Vision 2030 sustainable development objectives, and in alignment with Central Bank of Egypt’s directions towards promoting Sustainable Finance, QNB ALAHLI is proud to be playing a leading role in backing the renewable energy sector by highly recognizing the role that independent solar developers can contribute in the market alongside mega-scale electricity production companies”.

Saad Khaled, Ezdaher, said, “It’s been our extreme pleasure to be mandated by KarmSolar as their financial advisor in raising the required debt funding for this landmark project. This successful transaction adds to our persistent commitment to promoting sustainable funding with innovative financing structures for green projects across Egypt & Africa.”

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Phase 1 of the project calls for the construction of an on-site off-grid solar station by KarmSolar and Cairo 3A in 2020. The poultry farm will be powered by a hybrid microgrid of PV solar and diesel generators. 30% of Cairo 3A’s energy requirements are met by the original on-site solar PV plant, which uses renewable energy.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh