Only 57% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa has access to the electricity grid, which impacts water and food security and exacerbates a vicious cycle of poverty and inequality. To change the way energy is produced, consumed, and distributed in this region, the SWARM-E project has just been launched. The project will create, maintain, and scale up an energy solution called SWARM, which consists of a circular renewable energy system where homes and businesses with solar power are interconnected with others that do not have it through a low-voltage distribution network. This way, they can use the excess electricity instead of investing in additional storage equipment.

The project has a duration of four years and a budget of €5,378,338.75 and is funded under the Horizon Europe call. The consortium consists of fifteen partners and one affiliated entity, all of which are European and African institutions from the research and private sectors, including inèdit.

To evaluate the impact of SWARM-E and confirm that it is a suitable solution for decentralised energy access, inèdit will conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) following ISO 14040-44 standards and a Life Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA). The result will help define recommendations to keep resources within the economy and generate value according to circular economy principles. These recommendations may include strategies such as reuse, repair, refurbishment, sharing, or recycling of devices, components, and materials within the SWARM network, among others. A waste management protocol will also be created in line with international protocols and each country’s regulations. The social impacts of the project will be assessed through a Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) conducted by the Wuppertal Institute, also a project partner.

As part of the project, SWARM networks will be installed and operated in Rwanda and Tanzania, countries where solar panels generate up to 200 Wh/day at peak insolation, and the current household consumption is 50-60 Wh/day. Each pilot will be operational for 24 months, and the infrastructures will be maintained after the project ends to serve the community.

The ultimate goal of the SWARM-E project is to create a framework for new SWARM networks across sub-Saharan Africa. The installation of pilot networks in Rwanda and Tanzania will generate 69 GWh of renewable electricity, generate income through energy trading, and avoid discarding 3,200 batteries; the installation of five water purification points will provide 101 million litres of clean water, and the use of fifteen electric vehicles to transport and store crops will significantly reduce food losses. Additionally, 700 kg of clean cooking fuel will be provided to the population, and over 500 jobs will be created for women and young people.

The project consortium is composed of MicroEnergy International GmbH as the coordinator and ME SOLshare as the affiliated entity, and the partners: Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy; VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research); Europroject; BWB Connect; Renewable Energy Solutions for the Mediterranean (Res4Africa); OffGridBox Rwanda; Inkomoko Business Development; University of Rwanda; Ekoglobe Resources; Elico Foundation; Tanzania Renewable Energy Association; We!Hub Victoria; I2M Unternehmensentwicklung GmbH, and inèdit.

Co-funded by the European Union, project number 101146291. Views and opinions expressed within the current document are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.