Rift Valley Energy at a Glance
Rift Valley Energy Ltd. (RVE) is a renewable-energy infrastructure development company, dedicated to develop, own and operate renewable energy projects in Eastern and Southern Africa. RVE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rift Valley Corporation, a Zimbabwean headquartered, Sub-Saharan agriculture enterprise with activities in tobacco, timber and agricultural trading.
To date, RVE has made significant progress, establishing a total of 7.4 MW of renewable generation capacity and is operating two rural distribution networks in the Mufindi and Njombe areas, servicing a population of about 60,000 people and over 13,000 households in Southern Tanzanian highlands.
In Tanzania, RVE is currently working on an ambitious project pipeline, including hydro and wind generation as well as rural distribution projects – all at different stages of development. In the Southern Highlands alone, RVE is planning to invest in three more hydro projects and to further expand its recently completed wind project, with an accumulated generation capacity of about 10 MW – and the potential to supply a total of 6,000 rural households with green, grid quality electricity through connected rural distribution networks. To be able to best serve its growing rural customer base, RVE has established its own rural distribution company, Mwenga Power Services Ltd. (MPS). MPS buys electricity from RVE generation units, and onwards sells the electricity under its own brand (Mwenga Power) to its rural customers.
Fully committed to its developmental impact in the region, RVE teamed up with a UK based NGO (Energy 4 Impact) and is currently testing a “Productive Use of Electricity” financing programme.
Through this programme, local small businesses have the opportunity to overcome the financial hurdles, which they often face, when investing in commercial electrical appliances, that potentially can help them to a) generate a better income for their families and b) save the environment through the use of a clean and sustainable energy source (green electricity instead of fossil fuels). RVE also actively promotes electric cooking within its network areas, in order to avoid deforestation and respiratory heath issues for its network community.
Project Characteristics
RVE projects …
- Are designed as profitable and therefore sustainable business models preferably with majority RVE shareholding.
- Strictly focus on local, renewable energy resources
- Develop grid connected or island mode energy solutions, involving state of the art electricity vending technologies (i.e. cellular based vending systems for remote rural customers)
- Integrate regional and local energy infrastructure development initiatives
- Work together with local communities to best service their expectations and needs
- Actively assist in developing local institutional frameworks to best integrate IPPs into national energy policies.
RVE Service Brand
Download the “Rift Valley Energy – Customer Service Charter”
Download this if you’re interested in our Terms of Use and Service: RVE Customer Service Charter 2020
Network
Partners
Tanzania Tea Packers Limited (TATEPA)
Tea Research Institute of Tanzania (TRIT)
RVE Team
RVE Management
Mike Gratwicke
Rift Valley Corporation – Head of Energy Platform,
Technical Director and Co-Founder of Rift Valley Energy
Zimbabwean, Mechanical Engineer
25 + years work experience in Africa
Responsibilities: Management of the Rift Valley Energy Platform, Project Development & Implementation, Financing and Budget Control.
Franz Kottulinsky
Director, Corporate and Strategic Affairs,
Co- Founder of Rift Valley Energy
Austrian, Lawyer
10 + years of work experience in Africa
Responsibilities: Legal counselling, Development/Concessional Fund Raising, Carbon Funding, Public Relations.
Deograsias Massawe
Rift Valley Energy Group Financial Manager
Tanzanian, Certified Public Accountant
9 years of work experience with Rift Valley Energy
Responsibilities: Group Financial Management, Risk & Tax Management, Procurement & IT Oversight, Corporate & Human Resource Management
RVE Board
Thomas Hoegh
Chairman of the Board, Rift Valley Corporation
Mike Gratwicke
Head of Energy Platform, Rift Valley Corporation
Technical Director, Rift Valley Energy
Franz Kottulinsky
Director, Corporate and Strategic Affairs, Rift Valley Energy
Paul West
CFO, Rift Valley Corporation
Carlo Ravizza
Vice President, Hoegh Capital Partners
Ruvimbo Chipango
Financial Director, Northern Tobacco