Niger Basin Nexus Acceleration Programme // Article Series No. 8: Clean Energy Services, reducing greenhouse gases and improving ecological footprint
In the context of the Acceleration Programme within the incubator of the 2iE Institute, the start-up Clean Energy Services is supported in the optimisation of the functioning of its solar fridges and the reduction of the environmental impact of its activities. Organisational changes have also been made.
This article is also available in French.
The start-up Clean Energy Services is currently further working to realise its vision of meeting either energy and solar needs. The start-up has increased the number of employees from eight to 13, with a total of four women and nine men. Since the acceleration phase, it has improved its production processes and restructured its team. For instance, the start-up's flagship product, the "Bi-Solar Tech Fridge", incorporates a simpler and more resilient food preservation method. Its new device does not require the use of chemicals such as molten salts, sodium and potassium nitrate. With the new optimisation of the "Bi-Solar Tech Fridge" operating system, Clean Energy Services is saving up to 130,000 CFA (corresponding to around 195 EUR) francs on its production costs, thereby helping to reducing its ecological footprint.
The start-up Clean Energy Services has also implemented an ‘Occupational Health and Safety’ policy to ensure a safe working environment for its employees. It has adopted several preventive measures and prepared hazard maps, codes of conduct, permanent intervention plans and introduction programmes. All these elements are part of the equipment acquisition for the setting up of its industrial fridge production unit.
Ongoing projects
Within the framework of the Acceleration Programme, Clean Energy Services plans to equip groups of vulnerable women and young people with solar fridges. The project reaches out to around 20 women and young people who live mainly from fishing and fish trading in the far north of Cameroon. The project will enable its beneficiaries to better preserve their food and sell fresh food products.
With a growing customer portfolio, Clean Energy Services aims to reach a production capacity of 20 fridges per day by March 2024, supplying Cameroon and neighbouring countries in Central and West Africa. Almost 80,000 households in sub-Saharan Africa will be able to use the ‘Bi-Solar Tech Fridge’ to better store and preserve their food.
Clean Energy Services is a Cameroonian start-up which is receiving support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as part of the Nexus Water-Energy-Food Security (WEF) Acceleration Programme implemented by the 2iE Institute. This programme is funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Related Articles