The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced, Tuesday, August 31, 2021, a grant in the form of technical assistance to the Beninese company Sherlock Grids SAS. The objective is to extend and improve access to clean energy for rural communities throughout Benin. Sherlock Grids will work with SparkMeter, a Washington, DC-based technology provider.

SparkMeter receives a grant to digitize the management of green mini-grids in Benin. Its collaboration with Sherlock Grids will make it possible to analyze the feasibility of bringing solar mini-grids online for tens of thousands of Beninese people. According to Enoh T. Ebong, Acting Director of the USTDA, this project embodies USTDA's commitment to deploying innovative solutions that connect more African citizens to clean and reliable energy. "By leveraging U.S. technologies, the USTDA's commitment will help mitigate the climate crisis while supporting Benin's goal of universal electrification through solar energy," he said.

Tristan Kochoyan, CEO of Sherlock Grids, said that "as a social enterprise, what motivates us is the impact that electricity can have on rural communities. This is also very much in line with our activity as a mini-grid operator: the more useful and transformative our services are, the more electricity people will consume. Technological and commercial innovations are essential to trigger this type of virtuous circle of economic and social development. We are convinced that what the USTDA is helping us achieve in Benin can help solve the electricity access crisis for millions more ." The project will also demonstrate the benefits of implementing a digitized system to fully integrate and remotely manage multiple mini-grids.