Solar-powered batteries supplier Mobile Power (Mopo) recently secured a $7 million loan to expand its footprint in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Mopo sealed the deal with the British development finance agency, British International Investment (BII). It was announced on January 27.

Mopo said it will use the loan to triple its service capacity in the DRC over the next year, aiming to reach more than one million beneficiaries. According to World Bank data from 2022, only 21.5% of the Congolese population has access to electricity, placing the DRC among the 10 least electrified countries globally. Mopo began operations in the DRC in the second quarter of 2024.

"The DRC has become one of our key growth markets with a population of over 100 million," said Chris Longbottom, Mopo's Managing Director. "This funding from British International Investment marks the start of a long-term partnership that will enable us to accelerate our growth strategy in the country," he added.

Besides the DRC, Mopo operates in five other sub-Saharan African countries Nigeria, Liberia, Chad, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. In the coming years, it plans to expand across the continent where nearly 600 million people have no electricity.

Various clean energy and off-grid solutions are being adopted to meet this demand. Most of these projects are backed by both private and institutional investors. Mopo surfs this wave, leveraging innovative technologies and a business model designed to sustainably improve Africans’ lives.

This article was initially published by Chamberline Moko (Ecofin Agency)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho