The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (BGFA) has signed a new agreement to support the expansion of a solar mini-grid project in the north-eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), aiming to provide reliable electricity to schools, healthcare facilities, businesses, and households in the remote town of Dungu.
The project will be implemented by Les Soleils de la Garamba S.A.S.U, the local operational subsidiary of MyJouleBox. The company has been established as a special purpose vehicle to deploy and operate a 1.2 MWp solar mini-grid in Dungu, located in the Haut-Uélé province in the north-eastern part of the DRC.
According to Paul Berthomieu, CEO of MyJouleBox, the project is designed to unlock economic opportunities in underserved regions. He noted that expanding reliable electricity access in Dungu will support economic growth, strengthen healthcare services, and contribute to environmental conservation in nearby protected areas.
Under the agreement, BGFA will provide €3 million in funding to scale up the project as part of the second phase of development. During the first phase, 240 kWp of solar capacity was installed with co-financing from the European Development Fund. The upcoming expansion will add an additional 1 MW of capacity, enabling the mini-grid to significantly increase its reach.
The expanded system is expected to deliver more than 4,000 energy service connections by 2029, providing electricity access to over 19,000 people in the region.
The mini-grid is located near the Garamba National Park, one of Africa’s important conservation areas. By replacing traditional biomass and wood usage with clean electricity, the initiative aims to reduce deforestation and human-induced environmental pressures while supporting biodiversity protection.
In addition to household electrification, the project will support productive energy uses, including powering water pumps, refrigeration for vaccine storage, cold rooms, and electric vehicles. The initiative will also install street lighting in the community, improving public safety and enabling better educational opportunities for residents.
BGFA currently has 28 ongoing energy access projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, including initiatives in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Uganda, and Zambia, in addition to the DRC. Once fully implemented, the programme portfolio is expected to provide electricity access to more than 9.6 million people across these countries.
The BGFA funding window supporting projects in the DRC is financed by the governments of Norway and Sweden.
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