INDUSTRY TRENDS

DRC: Nuru raises $40m for solar electrification in Goma, Kindu and Bunia

Nuru will be able to continue developing its portfolio of projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The electricity access provider based in Goma in the province of North Kivu has closed its Series B financing round with an investment of $40 million. In addition to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Proparco, which announced their investments at the Summit for a New Global Financial Deal in Paris, the deal attracted several other investors.

These include the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), E3 Capital and the GAIA Impact Fund. French renewable energy producer Voltalia is also investing in Nuru. The same applies to the Schmidt Family Foundation and the Joseph Family Foundation. The IFC is making its investment with part of the funds from the blended climate finance programme it has set up with Finland.

Electrification of three towns using renewable energies

“Closing Series B is an important milestone in Nuru’s journey, but it also demonstrates the viability of the meta-grid model in the distributed energy sector in Africa,” says Jonathan Shaw, co-founder of Nuru. In the east of the DRC, the company develops, builds and operates metropolitan electricity networks powered by hybrid solar energy.