Gridworks Development Partners

Thanks to Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for hosting Friday’s South Africa Transmission Investment Forum. The event was attended by our Head of Business Development, Christopher Flavin and Senior Legal Counsel Richard Olley.   South Africa’s energy transition and economic growth ambitions are increasingly constrained by the lack of adequate transmission infrastructure. The country needs to build 14,000km of new transmission lines and associated substations. South Africa can't rely solely on public financing to achieve this target, and its government has committed to encouraging private sector investment to accelerate transmission expansion.   Chris joined the panel “Gearing Up for ITP’s” and spoke about Gridworks’ experience developing ITPs in Mozambique and Uganda, and opportunities for local content in the supply chain of transmission projects. He was joined by panellists, Dr Luiz Barroso (University of Comillas), Mervyn Naidoo (The Manufacturing Circle) and Nina Yose CA (SA) MBA and Chair, Shaakira Karolia.

The latest edition of our Connected newsletter is out ✉️ Inside, we cover: ➡️ Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS)' progress on innovative projects in Namibia and South Africa ➡️ Robert Wasson C.Dir joins our Board as a Non-Executive Director ➡️ A new milestone for our Moyi Power project in the Democratic Republic of Congo ➡️ Investment for Anzana Electric Group (formerly Virunga Power) projects in Burundi Plus much more too. You can read and subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eA6T2XAT

Our CEO, Erik Knive met President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo today to update him on the progress of the Chimuara-Nacala transmission project that Gridworks is developing and investing. The project is a vital piece of national infrastructure that will have important climate and energy access benefits for the people of Mozambique. The President endorsed the importance of the private sector in the country’s transmission sector, and the role of this project to unlock industrial investment in the north of the country. Erik (pictured to the right of President Chapo) was invited by British High Commissioner, Helen Lewis. They're joined by her colleagues; our Project Director, Bruno Batista; and representatives of British companies operating in Mozambique. The project, which will strengthen and increase the reliability of the transmission infrastructure connecting central and northern regions of the country includes over 450km of new high-voltage transmission lines and two new substations. For more on the project, read here: https://lnkd.in/epFDqsCU

Gridworks’ Amol Pinge and Richard Olley recently delivered a training session on private sector investment in electricity transmission to senior officials from African utilities, regulators and energy ministries.    The session - which took place in Joannesburg - explored why independent transmission projects are important, how they are structured and how risks are shared between parties. The Chimuara-Nacala project we are developing in Mozambique was also used as a case study of how independent transmission projects are being introduced on the continent.    Thank you to our partners at the RES4Africa Foundation and IFC - International Finance Corporation for giving us the opportunity to share our expertise!

Our Head of Business Development, Christopher Flavin, is joining the South Africa Transmission Investment Forum at JSE on Friday 4 April 🇿🇦   South Africa needs to build 14,000km of new transmission lines and associated substations to meet the addition of 53GW of new generation capacity by 2032. The private sector has an important role to play in delivering new infrastructure and the national government is exploring independent transmission projects as a means of doing so.    At the event, Chris is joining a panel which will assess South Africa’s readiness for introducing independent transmission projects. He will draw on our experiences of developing projects across Africa, including in Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania.    Also joining Chris on the panel is: Dr Luiz Barroso (University of Comillas), Mervyn Naidoo (The Manufacturing Circle) and Nina Yose CA (SA) MBA. The event will be chaired by Shaakira Karolia. We look forward to an engaging discussion!

Really good to see a Gridworks-backed company, Zengamina Power getting plaudits from BBC News and their Cyber Correspondent, Joe Tidy.   The story shows that by supplying green power to a small bitcoin company it’s possible for an African energy company to go further and faster in providing ordinary households and businesses with the benefits of electricity.   Zengamina began operations in 2007 and has been serving customers in north-west Zambia with reliable, affordable hydropower since. In 2019, our investee company, Anzana Electric Group (formerly Virunga Power) acquired Zengamina and has invested significantly in its grid and new customer connections, resulting in thousands more having access to electricity for the first time.   With Gridworks and Anzana’s backing, Zengamina is rolling out a US$5m expansion project to install an additional 2MW of additional hydro and solar capacity, creating a first of its kind hybrid generation facility in Zambia. This will electrify the entire Ikelenge district and allow Zengamina to supply Zambia’s national grid with much-needed power.   Zengamina shows how a small, privately-run utility can work effectively and profitably in a remote region and provide 24/7 electricity to customers, while much of Zambia faces regular power cuts. You can see the impact it has on local people by reading the article below or watching Joe’s TV piece: https://lnkd.in/euH4wYju

We’re proud to be profiled in a new ODI Global report highlighting platforms that development finance institutions have established to shape critical new markets.    Gridworks was set up by British International Investment in 2019 to address the shortage of investment in electricity networks across Africa. Since then, we have built a portfolio of projects in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and more.    You can read more about our history and the lessons we’re learning as we help develop the market here: https://lnkd.in/eWguRp2u Paddy Carter

We’re delighted to welcome Robert Wasson C.Dir to the Gridworks Board as a Non-Executive Director 🎉 Robert’s background is in utility management and regulation, asset management, sustainability and consulting. He currently sits on the board of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. In utilities, he held various senior management roles in ESB and ESB International, both in Ireland and overseas, including more than 7 years of onsite experience in sub-Saharan Africa. He was also an Executive Director at Northern Ireland Electricity. In consulting, he led KPMG’s Strategy and Performance Improvement practice in Ireland before founding a leading Irish boutique consulting and interim management company.   He is a Chartered Director and a member of both the Institute of Directors and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He has an MBA from the Smurfit School at University College Dublin and is a graduate electrical engineer. Welcome to Gridworks, Robert!

This is an exciting opportunity: The African School of Regulation (ASR) is looking for a new Director ⬇️ The ASR plays an important role in helping shape effective energy regulation for customers, businesses and investors. Its work is invaluable in guiding policy that supports the sustainability of the sector across the continent. ignacio perez arriaga

Last week, Gridworks' Shaun Githuku joined the Green Grids Initiative (GGI) Asia Pacific Dialogue.    At the event, Shaun shared our experiences of financing electricity transmission projects across Africa and learnt from approaches being applied in South-East Asia. In both regions, the role of private capital will be instrumental in supporting the clean energy transition and in improving energy access and supply.    Thank you to Marcus Stewart and the GGI team for inviting us!