Ayobami Adedinni
A leading Renewable energy company in Nigeria, Community Energy Social Enterprise Ltd, CESEL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shizen Energy Inc. a Japanese firm in order to impact more people in Nigeria and in Africa through sustainable electricity supply.
As of April, 209, Shizen Energy has contributed to the development of approximately 1 gigawatt worth of renewable energy in Japan and aims to expand its global businesses to “take action for the blue planet”.
Since its establishment, CESEL has contributed to local communities across Nigeria by providing access to infrastructure, efficient systems and timely support, so that communities can benefit from access to energy at cheap prices–leading to employment generation and shared prosperity.
According to a release obtained by Petrolgas Report, the MoU was signed following the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICAD7) in September.
It reads, “in order to accomplish market goals in Africa, Shizen Energy decided to reach out to CESEL, whose vision of “sustainable energy for all,” aligned with Shizen Energy’s missions and aspirations.
“With the MoU, Shizen Energy and CESEL will work together in Nigeria to utilize integrated renewable energy sources, jointly developing projects on a 50/50 ownership basis.
“Both companies are committed to deploy 25 mini-grids, leaving the possibility to strengthen their capacity to bid for larger projects in the future as needed.
“The relationship between the two companies in the MoU is posed to be mutually beneficial, giving Shizen Energy access to the African market through CESEL’s networks in Nigeria and in other African countries, while CESEL will benefit from access to finance, technology and capacity building opportunities in Japan through Shizen Energy.
“Both companies also welcome the foundation of mutual collaboration as it opens up a significant opportunity for them to impact more people in Nigeria and in Africa through sustainable electricity supply.
“Shizen Energy group has contributed to the development of approximately 1 gigawatt worth of renewable energy in Japan and aims to expand its global businesses to “take action for the blue planet”.
“Sub-Saharan Africa, with only 44 per cent of its population having access to electricity, is a core market within Shizen Energy’s global expansion strategy.
“Shizen Energy aims to not only change people’s lives through the access to energy, but to provide reliable clean energy to contribute to the development of a 100 per cent renewable energy powered planet.
“The MoU was signed on September 13, following the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICAD7) held in Yokohama City, August 28-30, 2019.
“Discussions surrounding the MoU were led by Shizen Energy, as they aimed to leverage Japan’s initiative to further boost Africa’s development through quality infrastructure, human resources development, science, technology, and innovation.
“The engagement between Shizen Energy and CESEL came through a mutual network established through Shizen Energy’s cooperation with the Africans Business Education (ABE) Initiative, where Shizen Energy received around 10 interns from 10 African countries in 2019.
“Shizen Energy will continue to utilize the ABE initiative as a foundation for its expansion in the African continent, in addition to fostering human resources through international exchange,” the statement added.