Sunna Design, a leader and pioneer in solar lighting, announces the successful deployment of 30,000 solar streetlights in Togo as part of the PEP’S rural project (Solar Public Lighting Program), aimed at developing the country's public lighting infrastructure.

This ambitious project, the result of a public-private partnership with the support of the French Treasury General Directorate, includes the supply, installation, and long-term maintenance of 50,000 smart and connected solar streetlights. It is part of the Togolese Presidency's National Development Plan.

While access to light remained limited in many rural areas of Togo, the Minister Delegate for Energy and Mines of the Togolese government, Mila Aziable, launched through the Togolese Agency for Rural Electrification and Renewable Energies (AT2ER) the PEP’S Rural project to improve the living conditions of populations in 4,600 rural areas distant from the electrical grid.

Benefiting from a solid experience in the large-scale deployment of solar solutions, especially in Africa, Sunna Design immediately proved operational to tackle the challenge of solar public lighting in Togo. Thus, from its factory near Bordeaux, Sunna Design manufactures and ships 500 solar streetlights each week to Togo. A team has been trained in Lomé, where a dozen Sunna Design employees work in collaboration with local operators (CH2000, ACERMIITEE, GEMAS, BATIR PLUS…) for the installation and maintenance of the streetlights for 12 years, thus creating hundreds of direct and indirect jobs. The operational deployment was facilitated by infrastructure mapping previously carried out by the company Mitsio Motu, with the aim of maximizing the economic and social impact of solar lighting for the populations.

To date, over 30,000 Sunna Design solar streetlights out of the planned 50,000 have been successfully installed, especially in the Savanes and Kara regions. The change is noticeable in daily life. These new lighting solutions play a crucial role in the daily activities of Togolese people: they facilitate transportation, work, and night learning, as well as the freedom to move around safely at night. They also contribute to limiting rural migration by deploying sustainable and decentralized infrastructures in revitalized and now more attractive territories.

This first milestone in Togo, through its long-term model of access to lighting for rural populations, represents a significant step towards achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 7, which aims to ensure universal access to clean and sustainable energy by 2030, as highlighted by Ignace de Prest, Chairman of the Board of Sunna Design: "Our mission at Sunna Design is to illuminate and connect the world sustainably, especially in unelectrified rural areas, where the impact of solar lighting for populations is significant. We firmly believe in innovation, proximity, and impact. Our commitment to Togo is a concrete example of how Sunna Design combines technological innovation with a local approach to create meaningful change for populations. We are proud of the results achieved by AT2ER, which is implementing our project. The installation of these 30,000 solar streetlights represents a significant step towards global illumination and sustainable economic development in Togo

Beyond its commitment to accessibility and energy sustainability, Sunna Design strives to share the value created by its projects by partnering with local partners, training the population, and providing employment opportunities in the rural communities where it operates. This is part of Sunna Design's vision to contribute to the inclusive development of these regions by harnessing solar energy to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants

Sunna Design and the Togolese Republic are determined to continue their joint commitments to carry out the PEP’S project and achieve the goal of deploying 50,000 solar streetlights in Togo by 2024, thus contributing to a brighter and more sustainable future for the country

Article source: info-afrique