ENGIE, Orange expand effort to spread electricity in rural sub-Saharan areas

Energy supplier ENGIE and telecommunications company Orange recently announced that they will deploy solar kits across rural areas of Africa.
The initiative expands on a 2015 deal in which they teamed up to bring electricity to rural areas, as roughly 90 percent of the sub-Saharan rural Africa population isn't part of the electrical grid. Both companies have reaffirmed their commitment to use their technological expertise to encourage sustainable economic and social development.
ENGIE will supply, install and maintain about 1,000 solar kits throughout Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Senegal. The kits consist of a solar panel connected to a battery that can be used to operate small electrical appliances such as a radio or TV, recharge mobile phones or power LED lamps.
Customers will purchase the kits through a mobile payment system offered by Orange. The Orange Money service gives customers an easy and secure way to remotely pay for the equipment, as well as the ability to pay per installment of equipment used.
The solar kits provide a low-cost, alternative energy solution that is safer than disposable batteries, petroleum lamps and diesel-powered devices.
The kits will be deployed on a larger scale in the future.