Project description
Decentralised and renewable energy access technologies (or innovations) for Sub-Saharan Africa
The impacts of climate change can be mitigated with decentralised and decarbonised renewable energy technologies. However, their limited outreach outside the EU diminishes their socio-economic and environmental benefit. The EU-funded SWARM-E project aims, through a trans- and multi-disciplinary effort, to provide clean, sustainable, affordable, and modern energy access to the vulnerable population in Sub-Saharan Africa, following the AU-EU Agenda 2063. The project will demonstrate the SWARM Grid – a smart, dynamic, modular, and renewable energy infrastructure based on energy sharing through the interconnection of existing decentralised renewable energy technologies. The SWARM Grid enables productive uses of energy within the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and sustainable transportation in off-grid areas. The SWARM Grids will be demonstrated in five pilot sites in Rwanda and Tanzania.
Objective
SWARM-E is a trans- and multi-disciplinary approach for sustainable, affordable and modern energy access and well-being for Sub-Saharan Africa, aligned with the AU-EU Agenda 2063.
SWARM-E consists of several layers: 1) an innovative renewable electricity infrastructure, the SWARM grid, a circular and cyber-smart network where end-users exchange electricity of their solar home systems and form the nodes of a smart grid which can dynamically grow to meet demand; 2) unlocking unutilised renewable energy for productive uses in the water energy food nexus – cold storage, water purification, water pumping and irrigation, carpentry; 3) transfer and decentralisation of Global North energy transformation innovations – decentralised hydrogen production for cleaner cooking, bi-directional charging of light electric vehicles (two- and three-wheelers) to transport goods and people. SWARM-E builds on network effects generated through the inclusion of localised economies with strong producer-consumer linkages embedded within larger systems of trade and exchange for the creation of bottom-up energy communities.
SWARM-E will operate and replicate 5 pilots in Rwanda and Tanzania, under which 5 SWARM grids are installed, delivering 6.9 GWh of renewable electricity while generating income through the trading of electricity and avoiding the discard of 3,200 batteries; 5 water purification applications deliver 101.M L of clean water; 15 light electric vehicles deliver farmers’ produce, power mobile productive uses and cold storage, increasing the yields of 1,000 farmers and reducing the food losses of more than 5,000; 700 kg of H2 are blended with LPG for cleaner cooking, and more than 500 jobs for women and youth are created.
The balanced participation of EU and AU private, public and civil society organisations in the consortium will ensure the knowledge transfer North-South and South-South, and the sustainability of value chains based on local value creation and entrepreneurship.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering control systems
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture sustainable agriculture
- social sciences economics and business business and management business models
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software software applications
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy solar energy photovoltaic
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.5.2 - Energy Supply
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
10783 BERLIN
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.