A new scheme aims to install renewables-based on-site power systems at healthcare centres, schools and other facilities that need reliable access to electricity.
The ’50 by 50’ scheme was launched this week by blockchain decentralized energy firm ImpactPPA and green group the Earth Day Network and will focus on providing hybrid wind and solar systems.
The first hybrid system will be installed at the Edna Adan Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland, ImpactPPA said. The goal of the installation is to allow money currently spent on purchasing fuel to be spent instead on patient care.
The non-profit hospital was built by former Somaliland foreign minister Edna Adan Ismail (pictured). Founded as a maternity facility, the hospital has grown into a major referral institution offering obstetrical, surgical, medical and pediatric treatment to patients from across the continent. It also features diagnostic laboratory facilities and an emergency blood bank, and provides diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, including testing for HIV/AIDS. It provides training for health professionals and free treatment to many patients who need special surgery.
Just 28 per cent of healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa report having reliable access to electricity according to the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative, which seeks to provide universal access to sustainable energy by 2030 with an initial focus on healthcare centres.
Adan said she was “grateful and honoured” that her hospital was chosen as the partnership’s first project.
“The gift of clean energy will not only help us efficiently manage our operational costs, but it will also greatly increase the available resources for the women who so desperately need our help,” she said.
Dan Bates, ImpactPPA’s CEO, added: “When we started talking about working with the Earth Day Network, we were looking for a project that would not only showcase the use of clean energy and the blockchain, but one that would also offer access to energy and immediately benefit people’s lives. The Edna Adan Hospital became the perfect location for our first project together.
“The energy that we generate will power the hospital’s equipment and, subsequently, dramatically reduce the hospital’s electrical expenses, which are greater than $0.50/kWh. The money saved will go directly back into the care and services that Edna and her team provide for these women in need.”
By Tildy Bayar
Features Editor
