Building an energy access business
Shell’s Energy Access business aims to deliver reliable electricity to 100 million consumers in emerging markets by 2030.
Providing reliable power in emerging markets
Today, around 800 million people have no electricity access at all, and hundreds of millions more have unreliable power supply. With the bulk of the electricity demand growth is projected to be in emerging markets, customers with unreliable electricity supply today are spending large portions of their income on polluting off grid solutions. The dual challenge of providing more and cleaner energy solutions is one Shell is looking to help address. By 2030, Shell aspires to provide reliable electricity to 100 million people in Africa and emerging Asia, who do not have it today.
How is Shell building its energy access business?
As with all our businesses, we start with the customer. Our approach addresses the two gaps in the emerging power markets- improving reliability of existing power supply to on—grid customers and providing first power to off-grid customers and communities. To date, Shell has made investments in seven companies that specialize in solar home systems, mini-grids, and rooftop solar plus key enablers such as smart metering and debt financing. In addition to continuing selective investments in Energy Access companies and actively managing our existing portfolio, we look to develop large-scale power projects in key markets and leverage global partnerships to deliver Shell’s ambition.
Tap or click on the crosses to see more about the companies in which we’ve invested
WATCH: HOW HUSK POWER IS HARNESSING SUNLIGHT TO PROVIDE RELIABLE ELECTRICITY
Husk Power: Harnessing sunlight to provide reliable electricity
Title: Shell Husk India
Duration: 4:59
Description:
Shell Husk India_ENG Transcript
[Background music plays]
Music buildup
Cheerful music
[Video footage]
Man ringing a bell using a hammer
Children entering the school gates
[Dialogue: Narrator]
Schools in Bihar, India, can face challenges
getting a reliable and constant electricity supply
[Video footage]
Children standing during a school assembly
School band playing a variety of instruments
Students walking back to class
[Dialogue: Narrator]
To power fans for cool classrooms and drive water pumps for clean water.
[Video footage]
Students entering the classroom
Students looking through the classroom window
Teacher teaching the class
Nikhil Kumar Pandey walking past the classrooms
Closeup of student reciting
Interview with Nikhil
[Title]
Nikhil Kumar Pandey
Director,
Vivekanand Academy
[Dialogue: Nikhil Kumar Pandey]
We faced problems such as sudden power trips and drops in power supply.
We had a lot of difficulties.
[Video footage]
Front view of car driving through rural town
Shot of children looking at camera
Closeup of Indian woman
Child pumping water into cup
[Dialogue: Narrator]
But their challenge was not unique. 240 million people in India have no access to reliable electricity.
[Title – Text on visuals]
Source: Bloomberg data (2017)
[Video footage]
Manoj Sinha through the view of the rear view mirror
Manoj on the steering wheel
Shots of power lines in the town
[Dialogue: Narrator]
Manoj Sinha was determined to make a difference.
[Dialogue: Manoj Sinha]
When I was growing up in Bihar, one thing that always bothered me was this lack of reliable electricty.
We had a lot of power outages.
[Video footage]
People talking and resting
People walking through the market
Woman looking at the camera at her door
[Dialogue: Manoj Sinha]
My own people in my own home state were struggling with basic access to power. So that's what motivated me to provide reliable power to people, so that their children can go to school and they can prosper in their lives.
[Title]
Manoj Sinha
CEO,
Husk Power Systems
[Video footage]
Interview with Manoj
Shots of wheat field
Farmers planting rice in paddy field
Cinematic shot of rice stalk
[Title]
Sustainable
Electricity
Through Husk
[Dialogue: Narrator]
Bihar sits in the rice bowl region of India, where paddy and wheat are grown in abundance.
Manoj found a way to transform these husks from waste to energy.
[Video footage]
Farmer breaking apart crops by hand
Shots of wheat field
Processing plant
[Dialogue: Manoj]
To generate electricity, most people use diesel generator sets during night time.
We have used a biomass gasification system because we want to be 100% renewable.
[Video footage]
Closeup of rice stalks
Worker walking up and inserting husks into processing plant.
Worker sifting rice husks
[Dialogue: Manoj]
We use loose rice husks as a feedstock that goes into the gasification chamber to produce a gas, that is then fed to the engine which then generates electricity.
[Video footage]
Husk facility
Manoj and Sola Olarewaju walking to the facility
[Dialogue: Sola Olarewaju]
So Manoj, I haven't been to this site since 2017.
I'm curious to hear what's changed about the gasifier set-up since then.
Right, so one of the major changes that we did for this site...
[Video footage]
Interview with Sola Olarewaju
[Title]
Sola Olarewaju
Head of Energy Access,
Shell New Energies
[Dialogue: Sola Olarewaju]
What we really liked about Husk is the fact that they have a solution that sits within the community, providing 24/7 power.
[Video footage]
Manoj walking along the solar panels
Interview with Manoj
[Dialogue: Manoj]
So the hybrid part of the power plant has solar photovoltaic during daytime. Then we use a biomass gasification for evening time, and the battery kicks in after midnight, and it continues until the next morning. So that's how we are able to serve this 24/7 need.
[Video footage]
Closeup of solar panels
Husks going through a shaft
Shots of the battery
Interview with Manoj
[Dialogue: Narrator]
In 2018, Shell, along with investment from the Swedfund, a development finance institution, and energy firm ENGIE,
invested 20 million US dollars in Husk Power to enable the company to scale up.
And, with the supply of reliable electricity, Husk Power has changed the lives of people in this region.
[Video footage]
Manoj walking and talking to a team beside solar panels
Shots of powerlines
Manoj driving through the town
Front view of car driving
Shots of carpenter's shop and carpentry
Closeup of equipment cutting wood
Signage of Husk
Interview with Mustakin Ansari
[Title]
Mustakin Ansari
Owner,
Hindustan Furniture
[Dialogue: Mustakin Ansari]
We did not get light on time, so we were less productive. Now that we have Husk Power,
we can now make 50 sets of beds and 50 sets of sofas in a month. Our plan is to set up a shop in another location and get more business over there.
[Video footage]
Closeup of gears turning
Workers putting down furniture
Shots of wooden chairs
Interview with Mustakin
Workers sliding furniture in
People walking through the streets
[Dialogue: Narrator]
With Husk Power, schools in Bihar are now educating young people and future leaders.
[Video footage]
Classroom shots
Teacher teaching a class
Closeup of child talking
Nikhil walking along classrooms
[Dialogue: Nikhil]
With Husk, we have a lot more conveniences. The children are not so troubled when it is warm as the fans work regularly. I installed a water treatment plant in my school.
[Video footage]
Children working on their computers in the computer lab
Printer printing
Students reading out loud
Shots of ceiling fans
Students walking around outside the classrooms
Student drinking water and cleaning bowls from an outside tap
Interview with Nikhil
[Dialogue: Nikhil]
With 24/7 electricity, there is regular water purification, and the children get clean water
[Video footage]
Solar panel shot
Workers cleaning solar panels
Students using computers
[Dialogue: Narrator]
Husk Power is one example of how Shell is working to meet its ambition of providing a reliable and sustainable electricity supply to 100 million people in the developing world by 2030.
[Video footage]
Housewife switching light on in house
Driving past town
Interview with Sola
[Dialogue: Sola]
Now that Husks has proven its business model, I really see them having the opportunity to definitely expand more deeply into Bihar, where they're operating in India right now.
[Video footage]
Students walking to school
Interview with Manoj
[Dialogue: Manoj]
We have ambition to grow globally. Our long-term target is to build more than 5,000 sites in 10 years.
[Video footage]
Closeup of MGS100 Microgrid System
Manoj and worker talking in front of batteries
Shots of crops
Closeup of rice falling into mounds
[Dialogue: Narrator]
With the power of sunlight and rice husks, Manoj and his team have found a way to sustainably power schools, homes and businesses, improving lives now, and guiding customers to a better energy future.
[Video footage]
Students entering classroom one by one
Closeup of student washing hands under an outside tap
Kids watching the television
Cashier giving change
Kids riding to school on bicycles
People carrying bags on their heads
Slowmo clip of people looking at the camera
Rice fields
[Title]
Shell Logo
shell.com/energyaccess (changes to #MakeTheFuture)
© Shell International Limited 2019
Fade to black
[Background music ends]
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