Completed
Power Resilience for Health Centres in Malawi Project (2021)-£80,000 Funded by Scottish Government (COVID 19)
Reports of shortages in oxygen supply and passing on of COVID 19 patients on life support due to power outage in hospitals, prompted CEM and University of Strathclyde to act. Together we conducted research on alternatives to enhance oxygen supply and fundraised for resilient power systems in COVID treatment centres. CEM conducted assessments in several hospitals across the country and identified 6 hospitals requiring critical resilient power supply. Five 14.5kWh & one 7.5kWh Systems have been installed with £80,000 financial support from Scottish Government.
Sitolo 80kW Solar Minigrid
The 80kW Sitolo Solar Minigrid was deployed jointly by CEM and Community Energy Scotland with a US$750,000 financing from UNDP, GEF and Government of Malawi. it has 925kWh storage 7.2km HV and 11.4km distribution network and 4 transformers connecting around 800 customers (rural households, school, clinic and businesses) with 3 tariffs (domestic, business and social). It created 100 jobs and 40 enterprises (including 2 maize mills) within 2 years and improved social services in Sitolo, Ndawambe and Molosiyo Village. It was jointly implemented with Community Energy Scotland. Collaborations with other partners are working to deliver productive enterprises in the villages.
Solar Ovens for Cooperative Economic Growth (2018-2021)-£100,000 funded by Scottish Government (Climate Justice Innovation Fund)
The project piloted Villager Solar Ovens in 2 biomass dependent bakery cooperatives. It also built business skills of cooperative members and develop a maintenance budget and process, resulting into increased production and sales, reduced fuel costs and improved profitability, strengthening cooperative members’ livelihoods whilst reducing deforestation. With a 68% women cooperative membership, the project also helped in combating inequality. It was jointly implemented with Community Energy Scotland and COMSIP Cooperative Union.