ENGIE Energy Access celebrates 100,000 customers in Benin

Cotonou, Benin, February 1, 2021

Established in 2018 as Fenix International and now part of ENGIE Energy Access since late 2020, following the successful integration with solar home system company ENGIE Mobisol and mini-grids solutions provider ENGIE PowerCorner, the company has grown rapidly to have presence all over Benin via 100 points of sale, 170 full time employees and over 1,000 commissioned sales agents.

ENGIE Energy Access’s high-quality solar home systems provide clean, bright light as well as the energy to charge phones and power radios, TVs and fans to off-grid households in Benin. The systems start at $0.24 per day, with customers putting down a deposit and then paying the balance over time, making them more affordable, especially for low-income families. The solar home systems are also backed by a three-year warranty to ensure long-term reliability, a key consideration for most customers.

Philippe Robert, Country Director of ENGIE Energy Access Benin, said, “reaching this milestone is an incredible accomplishment for our team, and the result of not just hard work, but our commitment to bringing clean energy to all those without electricity across Benin. I am especially proud that despite the harsh economic effects of COVID-19 in 2020, we were still able to impact 500,000 lives by providing an on-grid experience with lights, TVs, radios, fans and even the opportunity to earn additional income. This milestone is just the beginning, we are already working hard towards the next accomplishments.”

As part of the celebration, the team acknowledged the 100,000th customer, Raymond Nokoue with a courtesy visit and presented a commemorative plaque to him. Nokoue said, “being the 100,000th customer at Engie Energy Access is a huge honor for me and my family and I am very grateful to the company. I bought a solar kit with 3 lights and a radio, which I will pay for weekly through MTN Mobile Money. I used to have a solar panel that I bought on the roadside and it broke often down due to battery malfunction and now I am so glad to have lights on again in my home with a more reliable and affordable system.

Gillian Alexandre-Huart, CEO of ENGIE Energy Access, concludes “our mission to deliver life-changing energy solutions is evident in the work the Benin team is doing. Connecting 100,000 households and impacting 500,000 lives is no easy feat and a testament to the strength of the team. I join them to celebrate this major milestone as I look forward to their future accomplishments.”