The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) is supporting the scale-up of a mini-grid site in the north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide schools, health clinics, businesses, and households with access to electricity.
BGFA has signed its fourth project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with the mini-grid provider Les Soleils de la Garamba S.A.S.U, the local operational subsidiary of MyJouleBox. The company is a Special Purpose Vehicle, established to implement and deploy a 1.2 MWp solar mini-grid site in Dungu, in the Haut-Uélé province in the north-eastern part of the DRC.
“Bringing reliable electricity to Dungu is not just about installing solar panels; it is about unlocking the true potential of rural and peri-urban regions. Through this partnership with BGFA we are proving that sustainable, decentralised energy can drive immediate economic growth, secure essential healthcare services, and protect the extraordinary biodiversity of Garamba National Park. This project perfectly embodies our 3×100 vision: deploying robust infrastructure to empower communities where the traditional grid stops,” says Paul Berthomieu, CEO of MyJouleBox.
With EUR 3 million in BGFA funding, Les Soleils de la Garamba will be able to expand the mini-grid with an additional 1 MW, as a second phase of the mini-grid site deployment. A capacity of 240 kWp was installed during the first phase, which was co-financed by the European Development Fund (EDF). The aim with the BGFA-financed second phase is to deliver over 4,000 energy service connections by the end of 2029, providing over 19,000 customers in the DRC with access to electricity.
The mini-grid site is located near Garamba National Park, a conservation area. By replacing wood and biomass with clean electricity, the project directly reduces human‑induced pressures such as deforestation. This transition not only supports biodiversity preservation but also fosters peaceful coexistence with local communities through improved energy access and diversified economic opportunities.
The scaled-up mini-grid site will be able to support a range of different productive uses of energy (PUE) appliances with electricity, including water pumps, freezers for vaccine storage, cold rooms, and electric vehicles, and through this significantly contribute to the rural economic development in the Dungu area. In addition, Les Soleils de la Garamba will install streetlights in the community, improving safety and enhancing education for the residents.
In total, the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa has 28 ongoing projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, across Burkina Faso, the DRC, Liberia, Uganda and Zambia. Once implemented, the current programme portfolio will have the potential to reach over 9.6 million people across these five countries. The BGFA funding window in the DRC is funded by Norway and Sweden.
For further information, please contact:
Tina Möller, Programme Manager at Nefco
tina.moller@nefco.int, +358 10 6180 651
Kari Hämekoski, Fund Manager of BGFA and Senior Programme Manager at Nefco kari.hamekoski@nefco.int, +358 10 618 0660
Pierre Bucaille, Head of Development and Strategic Affairs at Les Soleils de la Garamba
Pierre.bucaille@myjoulebox.com, +33 6 71 15 67 83
About Les Soleils de la Garamba
Les Soleils de la Garamba (SDG) is the official subsidiary of the MyJouleBox Group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Building on SDG’s longstanding expertise and deep integration within the Garamba National Park ecosystem, the company operates as a one‑stop shop for solar energy solutions in the DRC. SDG offers a comprehensive portfolio of tailored, high‑performance energy solutions, ranging from Commercial & Industrial (C&I) and B2B systems for businesses to the development of mini‑grids for both urban and rural electrification.
About MyJouleBox
MyJouleBox is a leading renewable energy developer and investor in West and Central Africa. For over 14 years, the Group has pioneered decentralised energy solutions, ranging from Solar Home Systems (SHS) to commercial and industrial (C&I) installations and hybrid minigrids. Through its operational subsidiaries operating under the ARESS brand, the Group combines innovative software platforms—including pay-as-you-go solutions and remote monitoring—with strong local field expertise across Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Senegal and Togo. As an Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) provider, MyJouleBox finances and operates sustainable infrastructure that fosters rural electrification, productive use of energy, and climate resilience. Read more at www.myjoulebox.fr
About BGFA
The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) is a multi-donor facility established and managed by Nefco – the Nordic Green Bank. Nefco is an international financial institution based in Helsinki, Finland, focusing on environmental and climate investments and fund management. BGFA is implemented by Nefco, with the support of two project implementation partners. NIRAS is a development and engineering consultancy company headquartered in Denmark. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), an international multilateral partnership based in Vienna, Austria, works to accelerate market-based deployment of renewable energy and energy-efficiency solutions in developing countries.
The EUR 110+ million BGFA programme was established in 2019 on Sweden’s initiative through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). It has since been developed by Nefco into a multi-donor programme funded by Denmark through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Germany through its development bank KfW, Norway through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and Sweden. Read more at www.beyondthegrid.africa
Photo: Installed solar power in Dungu – Les Soleils de la Garamba