Uganda
Operating- Minigrids
- 31
- Capacity
- 1.4 MWp
- Customers
- 2,700+
- Concession
- 20 yrs
Our first fully integrated operation, run by NOA Uganda Services from development to customer care. noauganda.com ↗
Pan-African decentralized utility platform
Reliable power for rural Africa, run like a utility.
NOA develops, builds and operates solar minigrids for off-grid communities. We own the assets and run them with our own local teams, so the lights stay on and the network keeps growing.
67minigrids in operation
4.2MWpinstalled solar capacity
8,700+connected customers
4countries: Uganda, Sierra Leone, Benin, Liberia
About NOA
Closing the rural electrification gap, one community at a time
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 447 million people in rural areas still live without electricity. In NOA's markets, rural access ranges from 9% in Liberia to 45% in Benin. Africa holds 60% of the world's best solar resources, yet only about 1% of its installed solar capacity.
- Vision
- Become an independent pan-African decentralized utility platform.
- Mission
- Connect 1.5 million rural Africans within 10 years through sustainable energy.
Independent
Self-sufficient energy systems that give communities power without waiting for the national grid.
Reliable
Consistent, high-quality supply, backed by direct control of operations and maintenance.
Scalable
Standardized designs and processes that expand with demand and replicate across markets.
Local
Country teams led by experienced managers who know their communities, regulators and customers.
Our model
One operator across the whole value chain
Each NOA country has its own operating company. It develops sites, builds the infrastructure and runs the network day to day, while NOA's holding owns and finances the assets.
DEVELOP
Find and secure the sites
- Project identification and community selection
- Site assessment and demand studies
- Licences, concessions and regulatory approvals
BUILD
Construct the network
- Solar generation and battery storage
- Medium- and low-voltage distribution lines
- Metering and customer connections
OPERATE
Run it as a utility
- Asset maintenance and remote monitoring
- Prepaid tariffs and customer management
- Productive-use appliances and demand growth
Who we are
An integrated utility: in-house teams, standard procedures and data-driven operations, first proven in Uganda and now rolled out in Sierra Leone.
Footprint
Long-term concessions in four countries
We operate under government concessions of 20 to 25 years, which lets us plan, invest and maintain our networks for the long run.
- In operation · Uganda, Sierra Leone, Benin
- In development · Liberia
Sierra Leone
Operating- Minigrids
- 24
- Capacity
- 1.1 MWp
- Customers
- 4,400+
- Concession
- 25 yrs
NOA Leone, a Sierra Leonean minigrid platform with more than 3,000 households on its waiting list.
Benin
Operating- Minigrids
- 12
- Capacity
- 1.7 MWp
- Customers
- 1,600+
- Concession
- 20 yrs
Les Soleils du Bénin, 12 villages electrified under a concession with ABERME, our base in francophone West Africa.
Liberia
In development- Communities
- 10
- Capacity
- 1 MWp
- Target
- 4,500 conn.
- Storage
- 3 MWh
A centralized grid for communities in Grand Cape Mount County, supported by our Sierra Leone team.
Our minigrids in the field
Projects
Growing the network
Our pipeline adds new metrogrids, decentralized minigrids and rehabilitated sites, often co-funded with development partners.
Bunjako II metrogrid
A centralized system replacing three small minigrids and covering the whole island, awarded under the BGFA programme.
1.1 MWp3 MWh storage77 km line4,460 conn.
Lake Victoria minigrids
Electrification of 84 island and shore communities, funded by KfW on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with the European Union and the Government of Uganda.
2.5 MW7.2 MWh storage84 communities14,500 conn.
Partners
Backed by leading development partners
We work with development finance institutions and agencies that share our goal of universal energy access.
Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa
Results-based funding for the Bunjako II metrogrid in Uganda.
beyondthegrid.africa ↗
KfW Development Bank
Funding the electrification of 84 communities on Lake Victoria, on behalf of BMZ.
kfw.de ↗
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
German development cooperation partner on our Ugandan minigrids.
giz.de ↗
Millennium Challenge Corporation
US development agency supporting access to energy.
mcc.gov ↗
European Union
Co-funding the electrification of 84 communities on Lake Victoria in Uganda.
ec.europa.eu ↗
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Funding the Lake Victoria project through KfW.
bmz.de ↗
Government of Uganda
Co-funding the Lake Victoria project and granting our Ugandan concessions.
Impact & ESG
Clean power that changes daily life
We measure environmental, social and governance outcomes at every site, from project screening to reporting, with a particular focus on creating jobs for women.
Our priority
Jobs for women
We create jobs for women across our operations, from field teams and customer service to management, guided by our Gender Policy and Gender Action Plan. Reliable power also lets women run and grow their own businesses, from tailoring and hairdressing to cold storage and food processing.
Environment
At least 80% renewable generation, replacing diesel, kerosene and firewood.
Social
Local jobs, better access to health and education, and appliances that let small businesses grow.
Governance
Experienced local leadership, strong partnerships and a dedicated environmental and social unit.
6,700 tof CO₂-equivalent emissions avoided by our portfolio so far
≥ 80%renewable share of generation across our minigrids
1.5 Mrural Africans we aim to connect within 10 years
ESG policy · E&S management system · Stakeholder engagement plan · Grievance redress mechanism · Gender policy and action plan · Code of conduct
Video · NOA Uganda
From Darkness to Light: the impact of minigrids in Bunjako
See how electricity is changing daily life and local businesses on Bunjako Island.
Watch on YouTube ↗
Leadership
The team behind the network
Engineers, financiers and operators with decades of combined experience in African energy markets.
Alexandre Pouteau
Chief Executive Officer
Alexandre has worked with NOA since 2022. An entrepreneur at heart, he founded Green Consult and has led it for six years, and he brings that builder's mindset to everything NOA does. Earlier in his career, he was a renewable energy project investment analyst at Mirova (Natixis / BPCE) and a renewable energy project finance analyst at Bpifrance.
LinkedIn
Esteban Perez
Chief Technology Officer
Esteban leads technical management and technology strategy across the NOA portfolio. A solar and battery storage specialist, he has 15 years of experience with solar IPPs and minigrid companies, including SunEdison, ENGIE and Sunkofa.
LinkedIn
Femi Coker
Regional Director, West Africa
Femi leads development and operations in Sierra Leone and Liberia. He has 20 years of experience managing minigrid companies, including PowerGen and Energicity in Sierra Leone, where he built local teams and opened new markets.
LinkedIn
Alex Wanume
Country Director, Uganda
Alex manages NOA's development and teams in Uganda. He has 15 years of experience in minigrid management and business development, as manager of WINCH Uganda and then NOA Uganda Services, leading project development and in-country operations.
LinkedIn
Jane Birungi
Commercial Director
Jane is in charge of customer value at NOA, from rural communities to commercial and industrial clients. She brings more than 20 years of experience in rural electrification, including as Managing Director of Kilembe Investment, a rural concession, where she led technical and commercial teams.
LinkedInNews
Latest from NOA
NOA selected to electrify 84 communities on Lake Victoria
Funded by KfW on behalf of BMZ, the European Union and the Government of Uganda, the project will bring 2.5 MW of decentralized solar power and up to 14,500 connections to island and shore communities.
NOA awarded the Bunjako II metrogrid under the BGFA programme
The 1.1 MWp system will connect the whole of Bunjako Island with a 77 km distribution line.
Contact
Work with us
We work with governments, development finance institutions, investors and technology partners to bring power to more communities. Tell us what you have in mind.
- General enquiries
- info@noa-invest.com
- NOA ↗NOA Uganda ↗
- Group websites
- NOA Uganda · noauganda.com ↗