OnSSET tool used to assess electrification pathways for Benin!

Off-grid electrification technologies such as mini-grids and stand-alone PV systems play a vital role in providing electricity to people of Benin, especially in rural areas. This is the conclusion of a new report ‘Electrification Pathways for Benin’ by KTH Royal Institute of Technology and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation , which examines 21 electrification pathways for Benin. Using OnSSET  (the Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool), the team utilized local data and involved key stakeholders from government, the private sector and academia in the process.

Targeting universal access to electricity by 2030 (as agreed under Sustainable Development Goal 7) requires a combination of grid expansion and off-grid technologies. On this basis, experts from KTH and SNV collected up-to-date geo-spatial datasets and policy information to identify the most cost-effective electrification solutions in Benin. The resulting model calculations show that, in the least-cost scenario, to achieve affordable, universal electricity access in Benin, 10-50% of the newly connected population will get power from decentralised, off-grid technologies, mainly based on solar PV.

Find the full story here  and the report both in English and French here .