PowerUp Off-Grid Services today announces the successful deployment of its Battery Energy Distribution System (BEDS) in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, delivering clean, reliable energy to end users through a live battery-swapping pilot project.
Image Credit: PowerUp
The project forms part of the ZEBRAS (Zero-carbon Energy Battery Resource-as-a-Service) initiative, and is one of six ZE-Gen international demonstrators backed by over £4.85 million through the Ayrton Fund through the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Led by MEP Technologies, the consortium brings together PowerUp Off-Grid Services, Nevadic, The Washing Machine Project, and Skrum to demonstrate how swappable batteries, renewable charging infrastructure, and intelligent energy distribution systems can help reduce reliance on highly polluting fossil fuel generators across emerging economies.
The live demonstration combines renewable charging hubs, swappable lithium-ion batteries, electric delivery vehicles, and PowerUp’s AI-enabled monitoring platform to create a continuous flow of clean energy without relying on diesel generation.
Charged batteries are transported directly to end users before depleted units are returned and recharged, creating a closed-loop Energy-as-a-Service model designed to support communities and businesses where energy access remains unreliable or non-existent.
Globally, an estimated 1.5 billion people lack access to reliable electricity, while more than 25 million fossil fuel generators remain in operation across emerging economies, creating significant financial, environmental, and public health challenges.
PowerUp believes Battery Energy Distribution Systems will become increasingly important in helping to support constrained or underserved regions, particularly as pressure grows on traditional grid infrastructure worldwide.
The pilot also highlights the growing international strength of British cleantech innovation, as UK companies increasingly develop practical, globally deployable technologies designed to address real-world energy and infrastructure challenges.
PowerUp will be part of the Ayrton Forum, a flagship event on June 22, opening London Climate Action Week, exhibiting its Battery Energy distribution technology. The Forum builds on innovative UK-international partnerships delivering results in more than 100 countries across Africa, Asia and the Indo-Pacific, while also enabling jobs, investment, science and innovation in the UK.
David Collinson, Co-Founder of PowerUp Off-Grid Services, said: “The Ayrton Fund has enabled this project to demonstrate that energy does not have to remain fixed to where it is generated. By physically moving stored clean energy to where it is needed most, we can help support communities and businesses that cannot rely on traditional grid infrastructure. For decades, fuel has been physically delivered to places pipelines and wires cannot reach. We believe clean electricity must now do the same.”
Lily Beadle, Program Director, ZE-Gen, said: “ZEBRAS highlights the strength of UK clean energy innovation and international collaboration, with British companies creating collaborative international partnerships to develop practical, scalable solutions that address real-world energy challenges while supporting the global transition to affordable, reliable and modern energy.”