(Em)Powering the Congo.

Project Kourant has the power to transform communities and villages throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo from a region working and living through darkness to a sustainability beacon - powered by clean, reliable solar energy.

THE PEOPLE OF THE CONGO

LIVE THEIR LIVES IN THE DARK.

With an electrification rate of just 19% (about 77 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo has the second-highest number of people globally without access to electricity. Less than 2% of rural areas are electrified.

The impact of power scarcity is felt each and every day for communities throughout the D.R.C., with a lack of access to electricity in the region contributing to:

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Dangerous Pervasive Exposure
Relying on diesel-powered generators and burning wood indoors puts families at daily risk, exposing them to harmful emissions that threaten their health, increasing fire dangers from unsafe wiring, and contributing to local smog that harms the broader environment.

Unmet Power Needs
Cooking, showering, laundry, and learning are difficult and time-constricted in households, while a lack of reliable power leaves businesses unable to serve densely populated areas and grow the local economy.

Disease Risk
Lack of reliable energy service in the DRC exacerbates health crises by limiting access to medical care (infrastructure and technologies powered by electricity, i.e., cool storage for vaccines), clean water, food security, food-borne illness prevention measures, and disease surveillance.

OUR MISSION

Project Kourant has the power to transform communities and villages throughout the D.R.C. from a region working and living through darkness to a sustainability beacon - powered by clean, reliable solar energy. Benefits include:

  • Over 28,000 households and businesses in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo will have access to affordable and reliable electricity, alongside 600 solar street lights illuminating their roads.

  • Once completed, this will be the largest DC micro-grid on the continent setting a new global example for electrification in rural, remote regions.

  • From construction to meter monitoring, over 100 local jobs will be created to install and maintain the new solar energy and industrial-scale battery infrastructure.

  • In addition to economic benefits, clean energy will reduce reliance on fossil fuel energy sources that currently pose health and environmental hazards for community residents and natural habitats/animals.

  • HERE'S WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE.

    Solar-powered streetlights are remote-controllable, with 3x lighting modes that perform in any weather.

    1,000x homes connected to impact an average of 4,600x individuals (est. 5x people per household at 5kW).

    Including 5x hospitals, 5x schools, 1x water treatment facility, 4x hotels, and 1x refrigeration center, 1x EV charge center, etc.

    80% active usage rate and recorded data for financing.

    50x trained local engineers, installation crew members, maintenance department, 40 local customer service representatives, shipping & logistics staff.

  • HERE'S HOW WE'LL GET THERE.

    Begin by lighting the region with sustainably-powered street lights, with zero grid power required.

    Install the world's first interconnected DC solar grids to share distributed power in Mbandaka of 2 MW.

    Deploy a direct pre-payment system that evaluates customer credit and energy usage trends.

    Attain regulatory compliance with permits and safety measures for installation and training.

    Community engagement/education and investor documentation through records and digital content.

  • HERE'S WHAT IT WILL TAKE.

    Project Kourant is seeking an initial investment of $2 million launch our 5-month implementation timeline. This amount will fund the cost of the purchase, shipping, installation, and personnel required to operate and monitor our solar street lights and DC microgrid equipment.