AORA Africa Overview
The Market
Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
averaging between 6.6% and 3.1% growth over the past 10 years (African Economic Outlook,
2014) and a population expected to reach 1.9 billion by 2050 (World Population Review, 2014).
However, only 42.6% of Africans have access to electricity. The figure stands at 31.8% for SubSaharan Africa, which represents approximately 599 million people who do not have access to
electricity (World Energy Outlook, 2013).
Large-scale energy investment, which is cost-effective, sustainable and utilizes locally available
resources, is urgently needed in Africa. If the current trend were to continue, the number of
people without access to electricity is expected to increase to 655 million by 2050 (IRENA,
Africa’s Renewable Future: The Path to Sustainable Growth, 2013). The continent does,
however, have vast potential for renewable energy, particularly solar, hydro and geothermal
power.
With the exception of South Africa, 81% of Sub-Saharan Africans currently meet their energy
needs from biomass (Biomass Potential in Africa, IRENA, 2013). This, however, is a very
inefficient energy source, and also results in negative environmental effects such as
deforestation. Investment in clean renewable energy is required to reduce reliance on biomass
fuel. A possible solution is biogas, which is a significantly more efficient use of biomass that also
has positive environmental effects, such as the capture and destruction of the greenhouse gas
methane.
Energy is a key pre-requisite for development. Access to energy for households, businesses
and institutions leads to improved living standards, livelihoods, service delivery as well as
education and security. Electricity is thus a key driver for the development of the continent.
The Tulip
AORA Solar’s innovative solar-hybrid Tulip is designed to provide clean and reliable energy for
Africa to meet its development needs. The system is unique in that it can supply uninterrupted
green power 24 hours a day. Each Tulip produces 100 kW of electricity and 170 kW of heat
energy as a by-product, making it well-suited for small-scale, off-grid applications
In addition to solar, the Tulip is powered by an alternative heat source when sunlight is not
available. This can be biogas or bio-fuel, which can be obtained from substrates as diverse as
animal waste and molasses. The Tulip can also function on conventional fuels such as natural
gas, LNG and diesel.
The Tulip has several additional benefits which make it uniquely suited for Africa. It is modular,
with each unit capable of powering a village/small town. Once the community grows and
outstrips supply, a second unit can be easily added. Additionally, the installation time is very
short at 6 months, meaning returns on investment can begin almost immediately.
Most of the components can also be manufactured in-country, helping to create employment
opportunities
Each unit is also small in size, occupying only 3,500m2 of land – a fraction of the space needed
for PV solar – and the set-up can be tailored for precise power needs.
In addition to electricity, the Tulip produces170 kW of heat energy as a waste product, which
can be used for many applications, including; heating water for domestic, industrial and
institutional use or as absorption chilling for medicines and horticultural produce.
AORA Developments in Africa

AORA is currently in the process of rolling out the Tulip in Africa, working to establish
plants in Ethiopia as well as exploring opportunities in other countries including
Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Kenya.

AORA recognizes the importance of continental and regional bodies in the process of
meeting Africa’s energy demand needs. To that end, AORA has been in contact with the
African Union Commission (AUC) and is establishing links with the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Center for Regional Energy and Energy
Efficiency (ECREEE) and with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

AORA aims to work with strategic partners, building on progress made to date by African
Institutions, and to foster African ownership of the technology by promoting knowledge
sharing and technology transfer.

AORA participated in the 2nd High Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy
Partnership, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 11 – 13, 2014, where the
technology attracted considerable interest. During this visit, AORA met with H.E. Dr.
ElhamIbrahim, AUC Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, who provided
helpful ideas on how the AORA Tulip could be utilized in addressing energy needs
across the continent.

In late March, during a follow-up visit to Addis Ababa, AORA held meetings with H.E.
Alemayehu Tegenu, Ethiopian Minister for Water, Irrigation and Energy, resulting in
the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry and AORA Solar
Ltd. to undertake a pilot implementation of the AORA Tulip technology in Ethiopia.

In June 2014, the AORA team participated in the US-Africa Energy Ministerial, also in
Addis Ababa. Discussions held during and subsequent to the event have led to an
emerging partnership between AORA and Power Africa in several focus countries,
including Ethiopia.

Additionally, a Technical Committee comprised of Ethiopian Government and AORA
representatives, held a first meeting in Addis Ababa on September 2, 2014. The meeting
was chaired by the Minister of State for Energy, HE Wondimu Tekle and attended by
high level representatives of the Ministry as well as Power Africa and AORA. The key
outcome of the meeting was agreement and a plan to jointly proceed with a prefeasibility study to identify potential sites as the final step towards conducting a full
feasibility study, which is expected to commence in October.