A solar-powered mini-grid will replace diesel generators in a remote Nigerian community where 1,500 residents have never had grid electricity. The community of Edondon relies on expensive, polluting fossil-fuel generators for homes, schools, and businesses—especially to run cassava milling machines, while other processing steps remain entirely manual. This keeps agricultural productivity low and costs high. The project builds on earlier feasibility work that confirmed a solar hybrid mini-grid is technically and financially viable. If implemented, the mini-grid will automate cassava processing, create new businesses, and provide reliable electricity for households and a school. The consortium also plans to train women and youth in entrepreneurship and renewable energy. The design is intended to be scalable to five neighbouring off-grid communities with similar needs. This is an implementation project with direct, measurable benefits for rural livelihoods, energy access, and agricultural productivity. It does not address fundamental science questions but applies proven solar technology to a specific, underserved context.
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Edondon, a remote rural off-grid community with 1500+ residents, has never had access to grid connectivity restricting access to education, healthcare, economic advancement, and sustainable development. This has significantly affected the community's agricultural sector which is one of the prominent livelihoods. The community is relying on fossil fuel-powered generators for daily needs and especially to operate cassava milling machines, thus leading to low productivity, high costs of production, and pollution. Other processing steps apart from milling in the Cassava / Garri Production chain (e.g Hydraulic Press, Frying etc) remain completely manual, further lowering productivity. Additionally, households, school, and community businesses depend on these generators further aggravating the circumstances. Responding to these needs and challenges, our consortium consisting of UK-based dpSun, Nigeria-based Ceesolar, Circular Economy Innovation Partnership and Solar Sisters aims to implement solar-based hybrid minigrid for Edondon Community through project 'SPARC Phase 2 (Implementation)'. SPARC Phase 2 builds on ZE-Gen phase1 wherein we have successfully conducted data collection surveys(Energy Demand, GESI, socio-economic, demographic data), technical and financial feasibility studies to replace 125 fossil-fueled generators. Phase1 successfully validates the minigrid being technically & financially feasible. The innovation lies in providing reliable, affordable and accessible clean electricity through solar-based hybrid minigrid for households, schools, businesses and automating cassava milling machines, simultaneously with capacity of scaling to neighboring 5 offgrid communities (21000+ people). **The minigrid will be first-of-its-kind in Cross River State of Nigeria and we aim to help the community transition towards becoming 1st carbon-neutral net-zero rural offgrid community.** Through SPARC Phase2, we aim to create 385 new residential and business minigrid connections, replace 125 generators, reduce 65.3 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions, implement circularity planning for 31.15 tonnes of minigrid components, cassava machines and generators, setup workshop for automating cassava production chain increasing production capacity by more than 100%, increase access to education/healthcare, increase community energy yearly savings by ?26.3Million, create 20 STEM female internships, 20 new Productive uses of energy (PUE) businesses(e.g clean cooking), upskill/train 150+ women/youth along with 100+ children in entrepreneurship/renewable energy/climate change. SPARC phase 2 is essential as it paves the way for mini-grid installation in 5 nearby rural communities with 21000+ residents possessing similar socio-economic characteristics, challenges, and needs, creates potential of reducing 275 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions, replacing additional 130+ diesel generators. Project SPARC presents a multifaceted solution that touches on technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects to transform the lives of these communities.
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