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Renewable Energy and Sustainable Mobility
VoltaViewAfrica delivers solutions that enable growth without creating new dependencies. As a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, the non-profit organisation develops decentralised concepts for renewable energy and sustainable mobility. “We don’t just sell technology. We create the keys that unlock Africa’s sustainable future,” professor Wolfgang Schade introduces the organisation. The physicist is a professor at Clausthal University of Technology, as well as co-founder and CEO of VoltaViewAfrica.
MODEL REGION LAKE VICTORIA
DECENTRALISED ENERGY “The fundamental prerequisite for economic development is electricity,” explains professor Schade. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 86 per cent of people in rural areas have no reliable access to power. Without energy, however, a key element for progress and prosperity is missing. 118
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Issue 140
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April 2026
VoltaViewAfrica therefore pursues a decentralised approach for Sub-Saharan Africa. “There is no comprehensive grid like in Europe. Electricity must be generated where it is needed.” This is facilitated by SodiumX, specially developed energy storage systems with sodium-ion batteries that store solar power and make it available regardless of time of day or weather conditions, even
In the Mwanza region, the fisheries hub on the southern shores of Lake Victoria, a living lab, a pilot station for electric fishing boats and modern aquaculture, has been established. Solar energy, SodiumX batteries and electric propulsion systems come together in a pilot fleet of eleven electric fishing boats. Operating under a Boat as a Service rental model, the fleet demonstrates that the solution is both technically viable and economically sustainable. In addition, sensors installed in fish cages continuously measure water temperature, oxygen levels and nitrate and nitrite concentrations. This enables optimised feeding, the protection of fish stocks and avoids over-fertilisation. Electric propulsions also prevent oil and petrol from entering the water, thereby safeguarding
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on water. The potential of this development, both energetically and ecologically, is demonstrated in Tanzania.
TEXT: SILKE HENKELE
Sub-Saharan Africa faces a double challenge: while economic development across the region becomes ever more urgent, climate change intensifies existing inequalities between African nations and the industrialised world.
PHOTOS: WOLFGANG SCHADE
HOW SOLAR ENERGY REVOLUTIONISES AFRICA’S ECONOMY AND EVERYDAY LIFE