I.                   Introductory elements

2.   Executive summary

This report sets out a strategic plan on how an electric Utility company, similar to Iberdrola, could benefit from investing in microgrids in Eastern Africa. This report attempts to convince Iberdrola to invest in microgrids to broaden their strategic business units, while taking part in achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable development goal #7, “ensuring access to energy for all.

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The primary aim of this report is to construct a business plan that will help Iberdrola understand the advantages and spot potential obstacles that may arise in order for them to set out a strategic action plan. The promotion of renewable energy has become more and more prevalent in society today, this has also spurred on the evolution of modernised, advanced technology like microgrid. Regions around the world such as Europe, the United States, Japan and China have put in place deadlines and guidelines to support the construction, implementation and use of microgrid (Long et al., 2017). These findings as well as further research, which will be seen throughout this report, identify Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a significant region for the future of foreign investment in renewable energy. Africa is a continent where renewable energy resources are plentiful and despite previous efforts there has not been significant attempts and accounts for only two percent of energy resources (“Ouedraogo, 2017).

This study provides in Chapter 1 a description and analysis of a microgrid and its market. It will outline the functions and different forms of energy that can be applied for optimum use of the grids and resources. Chapter 2 identifies the internal and external factors which could affect the project. It is through the different economic tools that the report will identify potential risks, threats, opportunities of the microgrid market within Eastern Africa.  Chapter 3 will provide methods of entry into the market in the countries of choice so as Iberdrola is aware of the arrangements, contracts or agreements they may have to comply with for this project to be financially feasible and pragmatic. It should be noted that in an attempt to gather further information on their potential investments in emergent countries, an interview was requested with a member of the Iberdrola team, however the directors of Iberdrola were not at liberty to discuss their past or current projects for confidentiality purposes.

Lastly, the report will point out the knock-on effects that would materialise prior or in parallel with the construction of microgrids which would enable further developments in rural and urban areas. (Barido et al., 2017)

3.   Abstract

Dependence on non-renewable energy resources is causing harmful effects on the environment so much so that this, together with over-consumption, is contributing to climate change, economic inequality and is wiping out essential species. This report examines how the environmentally and economically promising market of microgrids is a necessary investment which can lessen the dependence on non-renewable resources in eastern African communities where renewable resources are abundant. This type of infrastructure would also help reinforce the labour market in Africa, encourage self-sufficiency in communities, restore confidence in young African communities and lastly incite education and development in urban and rural communities. (Barido et al., 2017)

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Furthermore, the all-present topic of ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) is more prevalent in a business’ corporate strategy than ever before (Idowu, SO, & Kasum, AS 2014). Companies have had to adapt to the changing environment in the business world and have had to be more answerable to their stakeholders (Hossain, M. S., & Al-Amin, M. (2016)). This report will draw on these two topics in order for an electric utility companyto foster new trajectories towards a cleaner and better environment for all.

The primary objective of this report is to provide an analysis of the microgrid industry in a promising Eastern African market with a specific focus on collaborating with the Spanish multinational electric utility company Iberdrola. This paper will give a strategic report in order for the company to invest successfully, develop their business and participate in the world’s largest project today; Sustainable development goals (SDGs). The company will be working towards achieving the United Nations (UN) (2016) SDGs in hopes of helping reach Goal number 7 by 2030; ‘ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all’.

4. Introduction

20% of the world’s population is without electricity. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 621 million. Panos et al. (2016), Ouedraogo (2017) and Abubakar Mas’ud et al.,  2016) have reported that the region also has the lowest level of access to electricity with over 50% of the population lacking electricity due to national or regional networks being outdated or even inexistent in some rural parts of the continent. The SSA population is set to grow greatly in urban and rural areas, where in 2010 population in the region grew at the world’s highest rate (Abubakar Mas’ud et al., 2016), which consequently heightens the threats associated with access to modern energy.

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As shown in the figure [1] below, Sub-Saharan Africa’s access to electricity increased, however it still remains significantly behind other parts of the world.

Figure 1: Proportion of the population with access to electricity by region, 2000 & 2012 (%) (Unstats, 2016)

Figure 2: Proportion of the global population with access to electricity, 2000 & 2012 (%) (Unstats, 2016)

This UN graph indicates that 2012 still saw 65% of the people within SSA without access to electricity, revealing it to be a region with the lowest access with the highest population per square metre than any other world region. Lack of energy sources cause children to be deprived of education due to blackouts, families cannot perform everyday tasks, businesses are running literally against the clock, because at any moment their electricity could cut out. Hospitals have people sitting waiting on surgery tables due to power failures and are putting people’s lives on the line. Businesses shut down or close shop for hours because affordable, clean and most importantly reliable energy is unattainable. Even though research has shown that electricity is fundamental for a society to overcome many of its social and economic obstacles, it is unfortunately unattainable for many.

In 2015, during a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created and signed by over 180 countries around the world. One of the aims is to “secure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030”.  While a conventional way of serving rural communities is to expand the network this can often be technically and economically ineffective due to a combination of capital shortage, weak grid connection and lengthy construction time to connect remote areas (Gandini and de Almeida, 2017). However, an energy storage system (ESS) which works in unison with a renewable source could lessen the gap between people who have and those who are limited or are without access in rural areas. Microgrids and ESS would also minimize the breakdown of essential electrical grids in hospitals, schools, factories and could reduce the number of fatalities also caused by these energy sources in Eastern Africa. Abubakar (2016) and Gandini (2017) advocate that research is showing renewable energy (RE) to be the desired source of energy as financial and environmental disasters and early deaths due to fuel inhalation, of which nearly 600,000 are in Africa, can be traced back to the use of traditional solid fuels.

5. Project objectives

To achieve the SDGs, this report will attempt to help Iberdrola continue on their path to be the ‘pioneer in Socially Responsible Investment’ which according to their Integrated report from February 2018 is a top priority for the company itself. It will also attempt to address the issue of Energy-transition which for both Iberdrola and their stakeholders is the most significant issue, as seen in the matrix below in figure [2]

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