The two companies will trial a range of domestic power supply services for rural populations that could later be deployed by Orange. The solutions could include individual solar kits and small-scale, local electricity networks which could be billed via mobile using Orange Money.
The trials will enable both parties to validate the technical solutions, sales and distribution models and the economic feasibility of such services before deploying them on a larger scale.
According to Orange, the deal demonstrates both parties’ commitment to using their technological knowledge to achieve sustainable progress as well as economic and social development in the region.
“Orange is keen to take part in such a major challenge to expand the electricity grid in Africa and encourage responsible power consumption on the continent based on the expertise of ENGIE, one of the world’s leading energy companies,” said the company.
The operator has operations in 19 countries in Africa and the Middle East while Engie currently supplies 760MW of power in Africa, with several major projects in the pipeline.
The utility is presently supporting Orange by optimising the power supply of its technical infrastructure in Africa in a bid to improve its energy efficiency.
