Illuminating Congo's Future: A Collaborative Approach to Energy Access

The Nuru Metro Grid project represents a breakthrough approach to energy access bringing together private sector investors, multilateral risk mitigation and investment from the World Bank Group and other development partners, and local market expertise from Nuru SASU. It targeted provinces with low grid electrification but high economic activity and market potential, aiming to transform energy access in these underserved regions.
In November 2023, the World Bank Group, through MIGA, issued a $50.3 million guarantee to CES AC1 Limited (CESL),a subsdory of Congo Energy Solutions Limited, for the Nuru Metro Grid project. The guarantee catalyzed private investment in the DRC's challenging environment by supporting CESL's investment in Nuru SASU, a DRC-based solar company for the development of solar mini-grids, scaled up to include distribution centers around the city, or “metro-grids.”
The project's initial phase will establish up to 15MW of metro-grid capacity, with a planned expansion to 39MW across additional provinces. This scalability ensures the solution can grow to meet increasing energy demands while maintaining investor confidence.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
MIGA partnered with Nuru SASU through a $50.3 million guarantee to develop a solar-hybrid minigrid project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, addressing critical energy access challenges.
The project aims to provide electricity to over 28,000 households and businesses, with plans to reach up to 5 million people by 2025.
This initiative, once completed, will be the largest mini-grid project in Africa, aligning with the World Bank Group's goal of providing access to electricity for 300 million Africans by 2030.
MIGA's involvement mitigated political risks and catalyzed investment in this challenging economic environment, where only 19% of the population has access to electricity.