Overview
Access to electricity is a significant development challenge in Mali, with only 15 per cent of the rural population connected to the grid. The country’s government has launched several development programmes with the aim of reducing poverty and improving energy supply through leveraging renewable technologies. This rural electrification project, based on decentralised solar photovoltaic (PV) mini-grid systems, aims to provide clean energy for 32 villages across six regions of Mali.
The reliable supply of clean electricity will dramatically increase the quality of life for 123,000 people living in rural communities. The ability to use water pumps, agricultural processing machines and industrial equipment without interruption will generate over 2,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, boosting the income of the local population as well as overall economic growth. In the long term, the project has the potential to reduce poverty on a wide scale.
