[Photo: Karim AIT Talb, Deputy Managing Director of Géocoton]. Bboxx, a new generation electricity operator, is partnering with Advens Geocoton in a joint venture to enter and develop the Burkina Faso market. This is the first step in a long-term strategic partnership that will see the two companies develop clean energy in other countries in the future.
The government of Burkina Faso has announced ambitious plans to accelerate access to energy, with electrification rates currently averaging 18%, and only 5% for the rural population1.
Through this partnership, Bboxx and Advens Geocoton aim to improve the lives of 2 million people in Burkina Faso by giving them access to clean, reliable and affordable energy. They will employ more than 500 people locally.
Bboxx will implement its already proven model in Rwanda, Kenya, Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, bringing clean, off-grid energy compatible with cutting-edge technologies. Its complete Bboxx Pulse® management platform allows it to extend access to energy to places previously considered too difficult or too expensive for traditional network infrastructures.
Advens Geocoton has been established in Burkina Faso, as in other countries of West and Central Africa, for more than 70 years. It allowed the development of cotton cultivation by small farmers, its industrial transformation and its export. It is particularly active in the transformation and valuation of cotton by-products. It also strongly contributes to the development of food crops. It draws on its local expertise and maintains a close partnership with more than 350,000 farmers.
Together, they target the supply of energy for the benefit of both urban and rural populations, particularly those in cotton-growing areas which concern ¼ of the national population.
This partnership, given the specificities of Bboxx and Advens Geocoton, will also be likely to provide vital access to energy in areas weakened by security crises and climate change.
In addition to access to domestic solar energy (SHS), billed according to consumption (PAYG), Bboxx and Advens Geocoton will eventually introduce additional services, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooking equipment and solar powered water pumps, also billed according to consumption (PAYG).
For Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and co-founder of Bboxx, “the potential to positively impact people’s lives through clean energy is immense. Building strategic partnerships is at the heart of how we bring together the funding and momentum to provide millions of people with the clean energy they need so much. ”
For his part, Karim Ait Talb, Deputy Managing Director of ADVENS GEOCOTON, said he was delighted to see his company diversifying with its partner Bboxx in the supply of solar energy. “Our partnership with BBOXX will allow us to finally meet this challenge, which is both ambitious and beneficial for Africa, its development and its sovereignty. For this, we look forward to extending this strategic partnership to other countries on the continent ”
Bboxx is a next-generation energy provider dedicated to transforming lives and opening up new possibilities through access to affordable, reliable and clean energy. Bboxx manufactures, distributes and finances decentralized solar solutions across developing countries. Bboxx is growing rapidly by forging strategic partnerships with investors, governments, telecommunications and energy companies; and through its innovative Bboxx Pulse® technology, a comprehensive management platform that leverages data, cutting-edge technologies (Internet of Things, IoD) and machine learning to improve the customer experience. Through its affordable and clean solution, Bboxx makes economic growth possible in off-grid communities by creating new markets from the point of entry of electricity. Providing energy enables people to participate in the digital economy and creates demand in other areas, which the company is also seeking to meet.
To date, Bboxx has deployed nearly 500,000 solar home systems, positively impacting the lives of more than two million people; and directly contributing to 11 goals of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Bboxx, headquartered in the United Kingdom, employs more than 1,000 people in nine offices based in Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Togo. The company also has manufacturing operations in China. In January 2019, Bboxx was proclaimed the winner of the Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Energy category, demonstrating the positive impact the company has on the lives of these customers around the world.
