Nevadic Joins ZE-Gen’s International Innovation Programme Showcasing Clean Energy In New African Partnership

Nevadic Limited based in Nigeria is proud to announce that it is joining ZE-Gen’s international initiative to bring to life cutting-edge renewable energy innovations, designed to leapfrog reliance on highly polluting fossil fuel generators and deliver economic, health, and environmental benefits.

Nevadic has received grant funding to develop one of six new ZE-Gen ‘Demonstrator’ projects which are expected to create both local and international economic opportunities and enable a better quality of life for people and businesses in locations where access to reliable energy is limited or non-existent.

ZEBRAS in Nigeria is one of six new ZE-Gen Demonstrator projects that are being brought to life through new collaborations across Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and the UK, as part of ZE-Gen’s groundbreaking international initiative after securing part of £4.84m funding via Innovate UK, on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Funded through the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, ZEBRAS project will revolutionalise energy access in Nigeria, particularly for vulnerable domestic and cottage-industry end-users with limited or no access to the electric grid both from a physical and an economic perspective. It will also assure cost-effective supply of clean renewable energy to the end-users.

To date, ZE-Gen has catalysed £39.75m as part of its efforts to create jobs, power businesses, and tackle climate change by ending the use of fossil fuel generators. With support from the IKEA Foundation and the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, ZE-Gen has brought to life more than 35 localised renewable energy projects across Cote d’Ivoire, Fiji, Malawi, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, and Uganda.

Dr James Coombes O’Brien, ZE-Gen lead at Innovate UK said:

“Taking innovations out of the lab and demonstrating how cutting-edge technology can create clean energy in real world situations in place of fossil fuel generators is something we’re delighted ZE-Gen can bring to life.

By being a ZE-Gen Demonstrator, Nevadic is joining leading international programme and contributing to ZE-Gen’s collaborative work to benefit people and boost economic growth in the UK and internationally.”

Nevadic CEO Dave Nwosu said: “I am thrilled that ZEBRAS is joining the ZE-Gen Demonstrator programme having secured funding from Innovate UK on behalf of the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.”

ZEBRAS is a bold R&D initiative that combines Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) with the innovative repurposing of fossil fuel generators. It’s not just about delivering clean energy to last-mile users through a sustainable, battery-powered virtual pipeline — it’s also about driving a circular economy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting down on electrical waste from second-hand and end-of-life generators.

What makes this project truly special is the diverse expertise behind it. Nevadic is proud to collaborate with MEP Technologies, PowerUp, The Washing Machine Project (TWMP), and SKRUM as we take on this groundbreaking journey of disruptive innovation.”

ZEBRAS is funded by Innovate UK via a Contract for Innovation (formerly SBRI), on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), as part of the UK Government’s £1 billion Ayrton Fund. The ZE-Gen Demonstrator programme is a key part of the broader ZE-Gen Initiative, co-led by Innovate UK and the Carbon Trust.”

Lily Beadle, ZE-Gen lead at the Carbon Trust said:
“Taking renewable energy concepts out of the lab and putting them into action in the real world is crucial to ensure innovations meet the needs of local communities, perform well and can be developed to be commercially attractive. Collaboration, partnerships and localisation are at the heart of ZE-Gen and we’re looking forward to supporting these exciting Demonstrator projects come to life in communities.”

Globally, around 1.5 billion people don’t have access to reliable electricity. It is estimated that 25 million, highly polluting, fossil fuel generators are in use across emerging economies, resulting in huge financial, social and environmental costs[]. Associated health risks include premature death, lung cancer, hearing impairment and numerous other problems.

High carbon emissions can also hold back countries’ efforts to meet their climate goals, and the high running costs of fossil fuel generators can reduce finance available for business, healthcare and education.

Despite being home to two-thirds of the world’s population, emerging economies only account for 15% of global clean energy investment – with homes and businesses facing frequent blackouts that can last for weeks at a time, negatively impacting daily lives and business income.

ZE-Gen’s unique approach tackles market barriers to renewable energy-based alternatives to fossil fuel generators by uniting innovation, finance and skills to drive competitive market growth. The successful implementation of these Demonstrator projects will help develop new international markets, opening economic opportunities over the coming years.

Footnotes:

Background Information: ZE-Gen

For more information please contact: ze-gen@carbontrust.com

Visit the ZE-Gen programme website – https://www.ze-gen.org

Launched at COP27, ZE-Gen, is the leading international initiative working to improve the lives of people across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region by driving the use of renewable energy in place of polluting fossil fuel generators.

ZE-Gen is a collaborative initiative by the Carbon Trust and Innovate UK and has an ambition to mobilise £100m of funding to inspire action and implement real-world change, delivered in partnership with sector specialists

The Carbon Trust leads on ZE-Gen’s policy, research, outreach and strategy, with input and oversight across the whole ZE-Gen programme. This includes bringing partners together and engaging with the public and private sector to identify new opportunities and providing commercialisation support such as investment readiness, market engagement, strategy & sales and product/service development.

Innovate UK is responsible for delivering grant funding to advance renewable technology through the ZE-Gen Innovation Fund.

About the Ayrton Fund

The UK Government announced the Ayrton Fund commitment of up to £1bn for clean energy innovation at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019. It is part of the total £11.6bn of UK International Climate Finance also announced over the period from 2021 to 2026. The vision of the Ayrton Fund is to help drive forward the clean energy transition in developing countries, by creating and demonstrating new technologies and business models to deploy them. It will demonstrate UK leadership and expertise in cutting global emissions through world-leading innovations. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) jointly manage the Ayrton Fund.