Salpha Energy gets €25,000 grant for Ashden Award
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Salpha Energy will receive a grant of €25,000 for winning the 2024 Ashden Award for Energy Innovation supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, The PUNCH has learnt.
The annual Ashden Awards revealed their 2024 winners on Saturday at the ongoing London Climate Action Week, the largest city-wide climate festival in Europe.
On its site, Ashden listed Salpha Energy among seven other winners, saying, “Salpha produces made-in-Africa solar home systems and helps households and businesses switch on to clean power, by giving customers access to affordable loans and finance.”
In an interview with The PUNCH, the Chief Executive Officer of Salpha Energy, Sandra Chukwudozie, said: “More than 500 organisations applied for the 2024 Ashden Award, and Salpha Energy was one of the two finalists in the Global South winners categories, securing its place after a rigorous assessment and judging process and input from sector experts, including academics, business leaders, investors and journalists.”
According to Chukwudozie, Salpha Energy will receive the £25,000 grant and other support to help scale up its work, such as publicity and connection to funders, investors and climate sector leaders.
“Our selection as a finalist in the Ashden Awards is a testament to our unwavering commitment to transforming lives through energy freedom. Having impacted over 1.5 million people across communities in Nigeria and beyond, we are proud of the significant strides we have made in driving positive change,” she stated.
In a statement on Sunday, the energy firm quoted the CEO of Ashden, Ashok Sinha, as saying, “This year’s Ashden Award winners are worthy champions. They are tackling the biggest climate challenges, in ways that also create important benefits – like new green jobs and fairer societies. Their inclusive approach is key to their success.
“The 2024 winners have come through a rigorous assessment process, which confirmed their immense impact – and their potential to do even more in the future. Passion, ambition: they’ve got it all. So now we urge investors, funders, policymakers and climate sector leaders to back and work with these trailblazers.”
The Ashden Award was launched in Year 2000 to honour innovators from the public, private and non-profit sectors.
The Salpha Energy boss told The PUNCH that the company produced made-in-Africa solar systems and DC appliances, helping households and businesses switch to clean power by giving customers access to affordable loans and finance.
Chukwudozie noted that the company, since its inception, had empowered over 1.5 million people with reliable solar energy, installed more than 6.7 gigawatt-hours of solar capacity, and reduced carbon emissions by over 4 million tonnes.
“With a production capacity of 300,000 systems per year from its assembly facility, Salpha has created over 1,050 direct and indirect jobs and is pioneering gender inclusivity by attracting women to technical roles and providing training and mentorship, promoting sustainable energy solutions and economic empowerment,” she averred.
