Fluidic Energy™ announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Madagascar, represented by the Minister of Energy, H.E. Gatien Horace, and Henri Frasier Fils & Cie, the Caterpillar partner in Madagascar.  This collaboration will provide a renewable energy-based turn-key mini-grid solution to 100 remote villages and communities with more than 400,000 people who currently do not have access to reliable electricity.  Minister of Energy H.E. Gatien Horace was in attendance for the signing of the MOU in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

The village mini-grid systems deployed will utilize more than 7.5MWp of photovoltaic panels, 45MWh of Fluidic Energy Advanced Energy Storage products, connections and pre-pay billing systems.The project will provide reliable and clean electricity for the first time to more than 400,000 people in rural areas of .This is one of the largest off-grid rural electrification projects on the continent of , and demonstrates the commitment of the Republic of Government to increase the national electrification rate and bring reliable energy access to all populated areas of the country.

Arizona-based Fluidic Energy is joining large energy companies, such as GE and Enel, in the growing African microgrid/minigrid market, as companies take advantage of cost-effective renewable energy technologies paired with energy storage.

The market for microgrids and minigrids in Africa is substantial — with more than 600 million people in need of access to electricity, according to the International Energy Agency.

Fluidic Energy claims it is the only company to commercialize rechargeable metal-air (or zinc-air) battery technology for commercial load-shifting applications. The company won a $2.9 million U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E project award from 2011 to 2013 to look at ways to advance small-scale zinc-air battery technologies for grid-scale applications.

Renewableenergyworld.com